The Department of Education (DepEd) is seeking to establish a stronger partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and local government units to construct more access roads to public schools, especially in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.

DepEd recommended the inclusion of access roads to public schools in the department’s programming and investment plans, especially for newly constructed schools with no road access.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara underscored the importance of the initiative, drawing from his recent visits in last mile schools in Mindanao.

“Noong pumunta kami sa Buenavista, Agusan del Norte, nakita natin ang realidad. May mga estudyanteng kailangang tumawid ng ilog at umakyat ng bundok para lang makapasok sa paaralan. Hindi puwedeng puro classrooms lang ang itatayo natin kung wala namang daan papunta roon,” Angara said.

“Kung may farm-to-market road, dapat may road-to-school din,” the DepEd chief added.

DepEd also pointed to DPWH’s successful infrastructure collaborations with other agencies, such as the Tourism Road Infrastructure Program with the Department of Tourism, the Farm-to-Market Road Development Program with the Department of Agriculture, and the Roads Leveraging Linkages of Industry and Trade with the Department of Trade and Industry as strong models of interagency coordination.

DepEd is also proposing a special provision under its fiscal year 2026 Basic Education Facilities Fund that all newly constructed school buildings have corresponding access roads with the DPWH and local government units to immediately include the construction of roads in cases where none is available.