Education Secretary Sonny Angara has pointed to the anomalous flood control projects as the reason why only 22 schools were built in 2025 out of the 1,700-target.

“Mukhang nawili sila sa flood control, sa totoo lang eh. Matamaan na kung sino ang matamaan, pero parang hindi na naging priority ‘yung pagtayo ng classrooms (It seems like they’re really interested in flood control. It’s going to hit whoever gets hit, but it seems like building classrooms hasn’t become a priority),” he said in an interview at Malacañang Palace on Tuesday.

Angara added that he felt disappointed when he learned that only 22 classrooms were built by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“Alam natin na ‘yan ang kailangan ng bayan. Kailangan natin para umunlad—‘yung mga kabataan kailangan nasa tamang environment ho sila (We know that’s what the country needs. We need it for development—the youth need to be in the right environment),” he stressed.

However, the Education chief said he has confidence in the new leadership of the DPWH under Secretary Vince Dizon.

“In fairness to Sec. Vince, he’s new, so I feel like he’ll be quick because I saw during the disaster, DPWH’s actions were also quick,” he noted.

Angara wants LGUs to build schools

Angara said he wants the system changed to enable local government units to help build schools.

“Since 2018, tanging DPWH lang ang nabigyan ng kapangyarihang gumawa ng DepEd classrooms. Ang gusto namin ngayon eh isama na ang local government units—‘yung mga lalawigan, ‘yung mga lungsod, mga first-class municipalities, maybe even second-class na may kakayahang gumawa ng classrooms. Palagay ko mas bibilis ‘yung proseso, at siguro, sa dami na ng ginagawa ng DPWH, eh nahirapan na rin sila (Since 2018, only DPWH has been given the power to build DepEd classrooms. What we want now is to include local government units—the provinces, cities, first-class municipalities, maybe even second-class ones that have the capacity to build classrooms. I think the process will be faster, and maybe, with the DPWH already doing so much, they’ve had a hard time),” he said.

Public-private partnership eyed

Angara said the DepEd is eyeing public-private partnerships (PPP) in building schools, as private firms can simultaneously build multiple schools in one contract.

“Nagawa na po ‘yan dati noong panahon ni Bro. Armin [Luistro]. Nakapagtayo ng 14,000 classrooms kasi doon, imbes na nagpapabid ka ng isang building lamang, nagpapabid ka ng isang libong classroom. Sabay-sabay ‘yon—malakihan talaga ‘yung pag-construct ng classroom pag gano’n (That was done before during the time of Bro. Armin [Luistro]; 14,000 classrooms were built because instead of just building one building, you bid out a thousand classrooms all at once. The construction of classrooms was really on a large scale then),” he added.

Angara said he is hopeful that the President’s promise of building 40,000 schools will be met by 2028.