Education Secretary Sonny Angara and provincial leaders signed a landmark agreement at Malacañang formalizing a nationwide framework that clearly delineates the roles of the Department of Education and local government units in delivering school infrastructure, marking a decisive shift toward coordinated action in addressing the classroom backlog.

“These signatures mark the end of working in silos. They mark the beginning of shared responsibility,” Angara said.

"This agreement is our clear promise that no classroom will be disrupted by hesitation, and no education will be cut short due to a lack of coordination," the DepEd chief added.

The governors who signed the agreement represented key local government leagues, including the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines led by Quirino Gov. Dax Cua, and the League of Provinces of the Philippines headed by South Cotabato Gov. Jun Tamayo.

Under the agreement, local government units will lead the construction, replacement, rehabilitation and improvement of classrooms within their jurisdictions, including procurement, supervision of contractors and day-to-day project implementation in accordance with national procurement and building regulations.

DepEd will identify priority schools, provide standard classroom designs and technical specifications, and exercise oversight by reviewing plans, validating completed works and ensuring projects meet national safety, accessibility and quality standards.

The agreement also outlines shared responsibilities in funding and long-term maintenance, with strict monitoring, reporting and transparency requirements to ensure timely project completion and proper use of public funds.

Angara said the partnership complements existing national school building programs and enables faster delivery by aligning national standards with local implementation capacity.

Provincial leaders welcomed the clearer division of roles, saying it would reduce delays caused by coordination gaps and overlapping mandates.

The agreement mandates regular submission of financial and physical accomplishment reports, key performance indicators and public disclosure measures to strengthen accountability throughout project implementation.