ANOTHER school year has begun, and once again, public schools in Western Visayas are scrambling to make do with shortages — classroom shortage, teacher shortage, and too much improvisation. Over 1.1 million students are returning to school in the region today, and yet an estimated 11,000 to 12,000 classrooms are missing. Let that sink in: we are sending children into an education system where even the most basic learning space is a luxury.
The Department of Education (DepEd) Region 6 is thinking of rolling out multi-shifting schedules, temporary learning spaces, and alternative delivery modes just to make ends meet. These are not solutions — they are emergency patches on a system that is bleeding year after year. Every double shift and makeshift classroom is a reminder of how we continue to normalize scarcity in education.
Worse, we’re not just short on space — we’re short on people. With only 40,742 authorized teaching positions in the region, the shortage of qualified educators is equally alarming. Hiring freezes dictated by the Department of Budget and Management leave regional offices helpless, while Schools Division Offices are forced to beg local government units (LGUs) for stopgap funding. This is not governance — it is abdication of responsibility.
Yes, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara has promised the hiring of 16,000 new teachers nationwide, but without a clear, needs-based allocation, this promise risks becoming another hollow gesture. Western Visayas needs its fair share — based on the actual deficit, not on political arithmetic.
We must stop pretending that this is acceptable. The persistent classroom and teacher shortages in the region are not unforeseen disasters. These are predictable failures born of poor planning, chronic underfunding, and bureaucratic inertia. The fact that DepEd-6 must rely on “flexible” measures year after year is proof that we are stuck in a dangerous cycle of reactive governance.
What we need is a national education strategy that anticipates growth, not just reacts to it. Infrastructure planning must be forward-looking. Budget allocations must reflect real demand. Teacher recruitment must be expedited, not entangled in red tape. And above all, the national government must stop passing the buck to LGUs who are already stretched thin.
The future of our children is being compromised by short-term thinking and institutional neglect. Band-aid solutions no longer suffice. If we are serious about building an educated, empowered generation, we must start by building the schools — and hiring the teachers — that they deserve.
Enough is enough. It’s time to stop patching the problem. It’s time to fix it.
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EDITORIAL
Stopgap measures are not enough;
time to future-proof WV’s schools
AS MORE than 1.1 million learners return to public schools in Western Visayas this school year, the Department of Education (DepEd) Region 6 once again braces for a school opening marked by a familiar struggle — the shortage of classrooms and teachers. The region faces a staggering shortage of 11,000 to 12,000 classrooms, a deficit that is forcing school heads to fall back on multi-shifting schedules, temporary learning spaces, and alternative delivery modes just to keep in-person learning afloat.
While these quick fixes may offer immediate relief, they are neither sustainable nor equitable in the long run. They stretch both teachers and students to their limits. Students attending classes in multiple shifts often contend with reduced instructional hours and less optimal learning environments. Teachers are burdened with irregular schedules and expanded workloads. These compromises chip away at the very promise of quality basic education.
Western Visayas’ predicament reflects a national crisis, but the urgency is particularly acute here. According to the National School Building Inventory (NSBI) as of July 2024, the region has only 58,756 classrooms available to accommodate its growing student population across Panay Island, Guimaras, and parts of Negros Occidental. This number is woefully insufficient given DepEd’s own recommended class sizes—30 learners for each Kindergarten class; 35 learners for each Grades 1 to 3 class; 45 learners for each Grades 4 to 10 class; and 40 learners for each Senior High School class.
Adding to the problem is the dearth in teaching personnel. Only 40,742 teachers are currently authorized for deployment in the region, and local DepEd offices are prohibited from hiring additional staff without clearance from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM). Many Schools Division Offices have turned to local government units (LGUs) for stopgap funding to hire temporary teachers or build additional facilities. While this level of local collaboration is commendable, it underscores a deeper concern: national-level support is falling short.
It is time for the national government to recognize that these recurring gaps are not mere logistical hiccups but symptoms of an under-resourced education system. Future-proofing public education must now be a top priority. This entails not only increased and sustained funding for infrastructure and manpower but also the establishment of a long-term, data-driven strategy that anticipates enrollment surges and ensures classroom and teacher readiness before the next school year begins.
DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara’s announcement of 16,000 new teaching positions nationwide is a welcome step, but for Western Visayas to truly benefit, regional allocation must be guided by actual deficits, not uniform distribution. Moreover, classroom construction should no longer be hindered by protracted procurement processes or bureaucratic bottlenecks.
Western Visayas can no longer afford to rely on band-aid solutions year after year. We need a forward-thinking education agenda that safeguards not just access to schooling, but also the quality, consistency, and dignity of learning. Investing in our classrooms and teachers today is the only way to ensure that our children — regardless of where they live or how much their LGUs can afford — will not have to bear the costs of short-term thinking.
