The DepEd Philippines and Department of Public Works and Highways have signed a memorandum of agreement to accelerate the construction and delivery of classrooms nationwide, as the government moves to close long-standing gaps in school infrastructure.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the partnership strengthens coordination between DepEd and DPWH to ensure projects move faster from planning to actual construction, especially in areas with the most urgent classroom shortages.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said the agreement introduces a “shovel-ready” system, where project sites are already cleared, validated, and prepared before construction begins. This removes delays linked to land ownership issues, site validation, and documentation.
Under the agreement, DepEd will ensure site readiness through certifications and proof of ownership or lawful possession, while DPWH will handle construction based on approved plans and specifications. All projects are required to be completed as fully functional and safe facilities, with no incomplete or partially constructed structures allowed.
The scope of the agreement covers new construction, repairs, and completion of pending projects. DPWH will build new classrooms, including 1 to 4 storey and medium-rise buildings of up to 12 storeys. It will also repair existing classrooms and complete unfinished school buildings that have remained idle.
Dizon said procurement reforms are now in place to ensure transparency in bidding, pushing agencies to deliver projects at the right cost, right quality, and right time. He added that while material costs have been reduced under recent reforms, global fuel price volatility continues to affect construction inputs. To address this, DPWH issued Department Order No. 43 to manage price fluctuations.
To speed up delivery, DPWH is engaging large-scale construction firms to help address the backlog.
The government is targeting the completion of 4,000 classrooms from the 2025 backlog by September 2026. Of these, 500 units have already been completed as of March 2026, 2,000 are set for completion by June 2026, and the remaining 1,500 are scheduled to be finished by September.
Coincidentally, Angara and Dizon were both ranked among the top five performing Cabinet officials in a recent survey by Tangere, with Angara placing first and Dizon ranking fifth.
