President Bongbong Marcos has secured the participation of city local government units in a nationwide effort to speed up classroom construction for public schools, strengthening the Department of Education’s infrastructure program under the 2026 budget.
Under the arrangement, LGUs will serve as implementing partners in the construction, repair, and upgrading of classrooms. Local governments will help identify priority schools, prepare project sites, and oversee on-the-ground execution, while DepEd will provide standard designs, technical guidance, and monitoring to ensure compliance with national requirements.
The move targets persistent classroom shortages and overcrowding in public schools. Many campuses continue to operate with limited facilities, affecting learning conditions for students and teachers. By bringing LGUs directly into implementation, the administration aims to cut delays often tied to centralized processes and accelerate delivery at the community level.
“We cannot wait for decades, years, to give every student a safe and conducive classroom for effective learning,” President Marcos said, underscoring the urgency of the initiative.
He also stressed accountability and quality control. “Let us ensure that projects are not delayed. Let us ensure that the classrooms we build are of high quality. And let us ensure that every centavo earned through the hard work of our fellow citizens is used properly,” he said.
Education officials said the partnership formalizes coordination between national and local governments, aligning local execution with DepEd standards. The expanded role of LGUs is intended to speed up classroom delivery while maintaining oversight and proper use of public funds.
The initiative positions city governments as key actors in addressing infrastructure gaps in basic education, with the goal of delivering safer, less crowded learning spaces for students nationwide.
