THE SECOND Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to address the delays in constructing school classrooms.

“The way I see it, the problem right now is the red tape, the bureaucracy. Napakaraming paperwork, delays, and miscoordination within DepEd and DPWH,” said EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Senator Sherwin Gatchalian during a discussion on school infrastructure.

The discussion, led by EDCOM and involving the Department of Education and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), highlighted the growing classroom backlog and the persistent underutilization of the Basic Education Facilities Fund, which has severely delayed critical school infrastructure projects nationwide.

As of January 2024, DepEd estimates that 165,443 additional classrooms are needed across the country to address overcrowding in public schools.

A recent Commission on Audit report noted that only 192 out of the target 6,379 classrooms slated for completion in 2023 were built, highlighting significant delays in school infrastructure projects.

In his presentation, EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee noted that only 30% of the country’s 323,378 school buildings are currently in good condition.

“The majority are tagged as requiring major repairs, unfinished, or even condemned, with CARAGA, CAR, and Region X having the highest percentage of school buildings in this category,” he said.

Compounding the issue, appropriations for the BEFF have steadily declined. While the fund reached a peak of PHP 118 billion in 2017, it plummeted to just PHP 5.95 billion in 2022, largely due to persistent underutilization.

Additionally, delays in inter-agency coordination between DepEd and DPWH have further exacerbated the backlog in classroom construction.

“Despite efforts to mitigate these challenges, procurement remains the primary reason for underutilization of the BEFF,” said DepEd Director for Education Programs Management Office Atty. Tara Rama.

“These challenges include delays due to modifications, failed bidding, and contract cancellations,” Rama added.

She also pointed out steps to address the classroom backlog. “The current strategy is to prioritize schools with makeshift structures and partially address schools with high classroom shortages,” she explained.

Rama highlighted the newly created Planning, Policy, Monitoring, and Evaluation Strand within the department, which aims to prioritize the list of new constructions for possible Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), Joint Venture Agreements, development partnerships, and multilateral grants.