Angara backs PPP mode in building classrooms

Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Tuesday called for stronger collaboration with the private sector to accelerate education reforms, particularly in classroom construction.

Angara underscored the role of public-private partnerships in mobilizing private investment and expertise to address gaps in education infrastructure and learning capacity.

“This administration has sent clear signals that it wants to work with the private sector and that it needs the private sector. Another change that President Marcos has initiated is placing human development and human infrastructure at the core of PPPs, not just physical development or building structures,” Angara said.

He made the statement during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Editors and Economic Opinion Leaders Forum 2026 at the Fairmont Hotel in Makati City.

With a total project cost of P105.7 billion, the Department of Education plans to construct more than 16,000 classrooms in high-need areas nationwide through the Public-Private Partnership for School Infrastructure Program III.

The program is part of the Marcos administration’s broader effort to modernize school facilities and address classroom shortages.

Under a build-lease-and-transfer arrangement, private partners will finance and construct the classrooms and assume responsibility for maintenance during the concession period. Government payments will be made through availability payments drawn from DepEd’s annual budget.

To speed up implementation, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued Presidential Directive PBBM-2025-1355 on 21 January 2025, directing DepEd, the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development, and the Public-Private Partnership Center to establish a “Green Lane” for education PPP projects.

The directive shortened approval, bidding, and review timelines by an average of two months per project stage.

Angara said PPP projects should be evaluated not only on whether they are completed on time and within budget, but also on whether they generate jobs, build skills, promote innovation, and improve quality of life.

The ASEAN Editors and Economic Opinion Leaders Forum 2026 marked the launch of business and investment initiatives under the Philippines’ chairship of ASEAN.

The forum gathered editors, economic opinion leaders, policymakers and business leaders to align trade and investment priorities with the country’s Priority Economic Deliverables for ASEAN 2026.