The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday expressed concern over the slow pace of classroom construction this year, citing project delays under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

In a statement, DepEd Media Relations chief Dennis Legaspi said that under current rules, all DepEd-funded school building projects are implemented by DPWH.

“DPWH’s heavy workload, late budget releases, and leadership changes have caused delays, with only 22 classrooms completed so far under the 2025 BEFF [Basic Education Facilities Fund] for new construction,” Legaspi said.

“Wala pong delayed SARO dito. Bagkus, inabot ng 5 to 6 buwan bago na transmit ng DPWH ang validation at paglagay ng project amounts,” he added.

From July 2022 to July 2025, DepEd and DPWH completed 22,092 classrooms nationwide — reducing the backlog from about 165,443 to 146,708.

“The current delays are temporary and we remain focused on catching up,” Legaspi assured.

To accelerate construction, DepEd is seeking flexibility under the 2026 budget to allow projects to be implemented not only by DPWH but also by DepEd, local government units, or partners such as the Armed Forces of the Philippines’ engineering brigades and through public-private partnerships.

“We will also launch an online classroom dashboard for public tracking of classroom needs and construction progress and host a classroom summit on 20 November to strengthen collaboration and transparency,” Legaspi said.

Meanwhile, Education Secretary Sonny Angara reported on Monday that several schools damaged by Typhoon Opong in Masbate province are nearing completion of repair works, with some already fully restored.

DepEd data show that 1,651 classrooms — mostly in Masbate City — were damaged by the typhoon, with estimated losses reaching P1.079 billion.

The agency has already released P14.4 million to the Schools Division Offices of Masbate and Masbate City for cleanup and minor repairs, and has requested an additional P23.4 million to sustain ongoing rehabilitation.

The DepEd Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Service has also allocated 20 upgraded temporary learning spaces through emergency procurement to accommodate learners from schools still under repair.

DepEd expects most of the remaining major repair works to be completed between December 2025 and February 2026, while funding for the replacement of totally damaged classrooms will be programmed under the Basic Education Facilities Fund 2026 and the Quick Response Fund 2026.

The agency has likewise directed its regional offices in Cebu and Davao to fast-track the assessment and repair of schools affected by recent earthquakes.