The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the Department of Education (DepEd) have signed a two-year agreement to integrate schools into present and future housing developments.

The Memorandum of Understanding, signed by DHSUD Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling and DepEd Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara, aims to align shelter and education policies to ensure that communities have access to both housing and learning facilities.

“Having adequate and properly maintained school facilities for our youth can truly help raise the standard of living,” Aliling said. He emphasized that education, like housing, is a constitutional right and vital to improving lives.

Under the partnership, both agencies will coordinate in identifying school sites within resettlement areas, update Comprehensive Land Use Plans, and craft joint policies to institutionalize planning at the local level.

Angara stressed the importance of long-term solutions. “No child should be left behind just because there’s no school nearby,” he said.