SENATOR Bam Aquino stressed that aside from helping reduce the country’s massive 165,000-classroom backlog, the P65-billion fund for new classroom construction under the 2026 national budget is projected to generate more than 100,000 jobs nationwide.

During a dialogue with Iloilo local officials, Aquino noted that constructing a classroom typically requires four to six workers and takes about three to four months to complete.

“Batay sa pagtayang ito, kung ang target natin ngayong taon ay makapagtayo ng 25,000 classrooms mula sa ating P65 bilyong pondo, lilikha ito ng mahigit 100,000 trabaho,” said Aquino, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.

“Makikinabang dito ang mga manggagawa sa ating mga komunidad gaya ng mason, construction worker, at pintor dahil magkakaroon sila ng trabaho at kita na magagamit nila sa pang-araw-araw na pangangailangan ng kanilang pamilya,” he added.

Once local government units enter into a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Education, they may already access the funds to construct classrooms.

Aquino said the program is also expected to stimulate local economies and benefit small businesses.

In turn, taxes generated from hiring local contractors can help LGUs fund social services for their constituents.

“Kapag kumuha tayo ng local contractor, magbabayad sila ng buwis sa lokal na pamahalaan at kikita rin ang ating maliliit na negosyo mula sa mga kailangang supply sa pagtatayo ng classroom,” he added.

The classroom construction initiative also addresses Filipinos’ top concern—wages and salaries—based on the Tugon ng Masa fourth quarter 2025 survey conducted by OCTA Research.

The survey showed that 45 percent of respondents cited improving or increasing wages as their top priority, highlighting the importance of job-generating programs that provide stable income.

Under the 2026 national budget, the Department of Education is given broad flexibility in implementing classroom construction, including partnerships with LGUs, civil society groups, and non-government organizations with proven track records.