EDUCATION Secretary Sonny Angara has urged local governments to take a more active role in delivering classrooms and safeguarding education funds.

He made the call during a meeting of the Mayors for Good Governance coalition, as preparations are underway for the rollout of billions of pesos worth of school infrastructure projects next year.

Angara said the push for stronger transparency and accountability comes as the Department of Education prepares to implement a major portion of its 2026 school infrastructure program, backed by a Senate-approved allocation of an estimated ₱85.4 billion for the construction and completion of around 24,500 classrooms nationwide.

He noted that local governments will play a central role as co-implementers, particularly in facilitating land use, fast-tracking permits, and monitoring project execution.

Angara also recognized the role of the Mayors for Good Governance in promoting integrity and accountability at the local level, stressing that these principles are critical as the education sector confronts a nationwide classroom backlog of more than 165,000.

“Kung malinaw ang bidding, mabilis ang permitting, at mahigpit ang lokal na monitoring, mas mabilis nating maihahatid ang mga silid-aralan sa mga bata,” Angara said, adding that effective local governance can significantly shorten construction timelines and reduce project delays.

Under the planned implementation scheme, Angara said capable local governments will be tapped to directly handle classroom construction using national funds, alongside projects implemented through the Department of Public Works and Highways, public-private partnerships, and other government partners.

He added that this multi-track approach is intended to accelerate delivery, especially in areas where LGUs can move faster in procurement and project supervision.