THE DEPARTMENT of Education has partnered with HOPE to roll out the Generation HOPE program, aiming to ease the classroom shortage across the country.

The initiative brings together private partners including BDO, SM, Penshoppe, Grab, Aivee, Carmen’s Best, and Sunnies, with proceeds from their products and services funding new classrooms nationwide.

DepEd said the program complements the government’s classroom-building efforts under public-private partnerships, ensuring resources are directed to areas most in need.

“Sa tulong ng HOPE at ng ating mga private partners, nais naming patunayan na kapag nagkaisa ang pribado at pampublikong sektor, mas mabilis nating matutupad ang pangarap na walang batang naiwan sa edukasyon,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.

“Let us keep planting these seeds of hope in every space where a child dares to dream. Because in Bagong Pilipinas, hope is not something we wait for but rather something we build together,” he added.

Each HOPE classroom is a 7-by-9-meter structure built to withstand harsh weather conditions. It is equipped with a chalkboard, a teacher’s table, wall fans, large windows for ventilation, a cathedral-style ceiling for cooler airflow, and a toilet to provide both students and teachers with a safe, functional learning space.

Since its founding, HOPE has built 144 classrooms benefiting more than 52,000 students nationwide.

Its community programs have also supported 32,000 farmers, distributed 2 million seedlings, diverted 9.1 million kilograms of plastic waste from nature, and sequestered 21,938 tons of carbon.