THE DEPARTMENT of Education is eyeing policy shift to allow local government units to participate in classroom construction.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the initiative is being studied as one way to accelerate the delivery of school infrastructure and help ease the country’s classroom backlog.

“Every classroom we add brings hope and opportunity to learners. But delays in construction mean children wait longer than they should. That is why we are looking for ways to build faster and smarter, with partners who are closest to the ground,” he said.

Currently, most school building projects are channeled through DPWH.

To create more options, DepEd is seeking flexibility in the 2026 General Appropriations Act subject to Congress’ approval. This would LGUs and other partners may be engaged more directly in building classrooms.

DepEd stressed that addressing classroom shortages will require unity across sectors and levels of government.

“Our goal is simple: every Filipino child deserves a safe and decent classroom. We may not get there overnight, but by working together and exploring new ways forward, we can move closer to that future,” Angara said.