Marcos pushes for faster classroom constructions

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. coordinated with local government units (LGUs) and the Department of Education (DepEd) to accelerate classroom construction under the Classroom Acceleration Program (CAP).

According to DepEd data as of December 2025, public schools nationwide are short approximately 145,170 classrooms.

“Under the agreement, DepEd, led by Secretary Sunny Angara, will provide the standards, design, and funding, while the LGUs will take the lead in procurement and actual construction of the classrooms,” Palace Press Officer and Undersecretary Claire Castro said during a briefing with the Malacañang Press Corps Wednesday morning.

The memorandum of agreement (MOA) formalizes the collaboration between DepEd and provincial governments for a nationwide classroom building initiative.

The 2026 General Appropriations Act allocates P85.39 billion for educational facilities, with P9.6 billion set for the first phase of the program. Of this, P4.1 billion will fund the construction of approximately 1,200 classrooms and 2,800 prefabricated classrooms to be purchased by DepEd.

The program aims to complete 4,000 classrooms across the country in the first phase.

The initiative also includes improving internet connectivity in schools, particularly in remote areas, to support learning recovery programs. Castro said about 33,943 public schools currently have internet access, and the government plans to connect more than 14,029 additional schools.