Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Wednesday called on local chief executives to speed up classroom construction, outlining clearer divisions of responsibility between the Department of Education and local government units (LGUs) to help ease overcrowding in public schools.

The dialogue, held at the Makabagong San Juan Theater in San Juan City, gathered more than 200 city and municipal mayors and LGU officials from the League of Cities of the Philippines and other local government leagues.

Angara said the country faces a backlog of about 165,000 classrooms as DepEd recalibrates its delivery system, moving away from a model largely dependent on the Department of Public Works and Highways toward one that empowers LGUs and other partners to act as implementers.

“When the local government unit leads the implementation, we can more quickly reach the schools that need help the most,” Angara said.

Under the new framework, LGUs will take the lead in implementation, from procurement to construction, while ensuring compliance with national laws and DepEd-standard designs and specifications. LGUs will also be responsible for correcting construction defects at their own expense if standards are not met.

DepEd, meanwhile, will identify priority schools and sites, provide standard classroom designs and technical specifications, review and approve plans and variation orders, conduct inspections and validation, and release project funds in tranches. Upon completion, the buildings will be accepted as DepEd assets, with joint monitoring and audit safeguards in place to ensure transparency and quality.

Angara said DepEd is allowing LGUs to choose from a range of infrastructure options based on local needs. These include the construction of new classrooms, last-mile schools for geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, repair and rehabilitation of existing facilities, leasing of idle or unused buildings, public-private partnerships, and the establishment of learning continuity spaces for disaster-affected communities.

To ensure readiness, DepEd outlined eligibility requirements for LGUs seeking to participate in the program. These include submitting a letter of intent, securing authority from the Sangguniang Bayan, Panlungsod or Panlalawigan to enter into a memorandum of agreement with DepEd, and providing proof of site ownership or the right to use the school site, such as a deed, tax declaration or deed of usufruct.

LGUs must also demonstrate a functioning financial management system through certifications such as the Certificate of Good Financial Housekeeping or the Seal of Good Local Governance, and show prior experience in completing similar infrastructure projects within the past five to 10 years.