THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd)  on Wednesday partnered with local government units (LGUs) to expedite classroom construction.

The memorandum of agreement (MOA), backed by 90 percent of provinces nationwide, formalized a nationwide framework to accelerate the delivery of school infrastructure, marking a decisive shift toward coordinated action to address the classroom backlog.

The signatories include representatives of local government leagues, including the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), as well as the League of Provinces of the Philippines (LPP).

“These signatures mark the end of working in silos. They mark the beginning of shared responsibility,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said in a statement.

The education chief said the partnership with LGUs will hasten direct actions to address the classroom shortage in the country, in line with the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

The country has a backlog of 165,000 classrooms to date.

“Ang kasunduang ito ang malinaw naming pangako na wala nang classroom na maaantala dahil sa pag-aalinlangan, at wala nang edukasyong mapuputol dahil sa kakulangan ng ugnayan (This partnership is our clear promise that no more classroom construction will be delayed due to uncertainty, and no education will be hampered due to the lack of coordination),” Angara added.

Under the MOA, LGUs are tasked to lead the construction, replacement, rehabilitation, and improvement of classrooms within their jurisdictions, including the conduct of procurement, supervision of contractors, and day-to-day project implementation, in accordance with national procurement and building regulations.

For its part, the DepEd will identify priority schools, provide standard classroom designs and technical specifications, and exercise oversight by reviewing plans, validating completed works, and ensuring that projects meet national safety, accessibility, and quality standards.

The agreement also sets out shared responsibilities in funding and long-term maintenance, with strict monitoring, reporting, and transparency requirements to ensure the timely completion of projects and proper use of public funds. (PNA)