ILOILO – With a shortage of 1,665 classrooms across public schools in this province, the Iloilo provincial government is ramping up efforts to bridge the gap through massive investments in school infrastructure.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. announced Friday that P600 million from the Special Education Fund (SEF) has been earmarked for the construction and repair of classrooms, underscoring the administration’s resolve to make education more accessible and conducive for Ilonggo learners.
“This 468 (classrooms) is doable. We want to ensure that we are spending this money effectively rather than saving it for the end of the fiscal year,” Defensor stressed during the Iloilo Provincial Education Summit held September 12 at the Grand Xing Imperial Hotel.
According to the Department of Education (DepEd), 468 classrooms require urgent construction while 7,279 classrooms are in need of major repair.
Defensor said his administration’s strategy focuses on building, rehabilitating, and equipping schools to create safe learning environments.
“Education is not an isolated concern. There are many combinations that we have to do. So that our education program will work. The effective part is really our 100% commitment to the infrastructures, facilities, and equipment of our school,” he explained.
From 2022 to 2025, the provincial government has already poured P355 million into classroom construction and rehabilitation. Of this, P157.852 million was used to build 86 classrooms—including 29 typhoon-resilient structures—while P14.683 million went to the repair of 25 existing classrooms. To ease congestion, P7 million was also allocated for 21 makeshift tent classrooms and 15 other temporary classrooms.
The provincial government has also expanded beyond traditional projects, constructing Madrasah schools for Muslim students, Schools of Living Tradition for Indigenous Peoples, teen centers, and water systems for schools.
“This is a comprehensive approach we are taking in our education system. Despite the fact that education is not a devolved function of the LGU, we take full responsibility for ensuring our students’ success and well-being. We will move forward with these initiatives regardless,” Defensor said.
The governor also appealed for strong collaboration with local government units (LGUs) and communities to push the ambitious classroom-building program forward.
“This is what we want to do; mabuligay kita sang DepEd kay lagson naton ang numero sang classroom shortage duri sa Iloilo,” he stressed.
The summit, themed “Effective, Relevant, and Transformative Education in Iloilo,” gathered teachers, policymakers, and education advocates to craft solutions to the province’s education woes.
The event highlighted the provincial government’s flagship initiative, the Bulig Eskwela Sang Probinsya Program (Bes Probins), created under Executive Order No. 420, series of 2022, to drive reforms in Iloilo’s educational landscape./PN
