Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara signed a $1- million technical assistance agreement on Friday with the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center to address classroom shortage.

The agreement includes technical support for building 15,000 classrooms in 2025 under Phase III of the PPP for School Infrastructure Program.

This project development and monitoring facility grant from the PPP Center aims to streamline the planning and implementation of PSIP III, ensuring a more effective approach to addressing the country’s classroom backlog.

“He [President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.] would appreciate this partnership today because it’s in line with his directives as this will not only improve the quality of education but also improve the learning environment,” Angara said.

Creating safe, conducive learning environments remains a top priority in DepEd’s 5-Point Reform Agenda. To tackle these challenges, the agency is reviving its PPP initiatives for school infrastructure while exploring innovative PPP models for other educational facilities, such as bundled campus development, school libraries and other essential infrastructure. PPPs are a critical component of the reform agenda in basic education, which includes decentralization and digitization.

Starting in 2025, DepEd plans to roll out a new wave of PPP projects to design, finance and construct 15,000 classrooms in approximately 1,600 schools across nine regions. This initiative is expected to benefit over 600,000 learners nationwide.

Angara thanked National Economic and Development Authority Secretary Arsenio Balisacan for recommending this partnership. He noted that the NEDA chief still has plans to help the education sector.