DepEd says 24,000-classroom target by end of PBBM term in 2028 'doable'
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The Department of Education (DepEd) on Saturday expressed confidence that it will complete the construction of 24,000 classrooms before the end of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr.'s term in 2028.
"DepEd remains confident that the target is achievable, provided that current funding levels are sustained and procurement timelines are maintained," the agency said, two days before the President's fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, 27 July.
As of June 2026, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed 21,900 classrooms since President Marcos assumed office in 2022.
Meanwhile, 6,294 classrooms worth P21.4 billion are currently under construction or undergoing procurement for fiscal year 2026.
Another 6,617 classrooms worth P21.2 billion are being built by local government units for fiscal year 2026.
In his 2025 SONA, President Marcos vowed to improve teacher welfare, expand health services, create more teaching positions, strengthen technical-vocational education, and make schools safer.
DepEd also continues to strengthen programs promoting the welfare and well-being of both teaching and non-teaching personnel. Key initiatives include expanding health services through the provision of medical allowances.
For fiscal year 2025, a total of 969,520 teaching and non-teaching personnel received their P7,000 medical allowance, which they used for various health and medical needs.
To sustain the program, DepEd said it will continue monitoring the timely release of the medical allowance each year while strengthening partnerships and mechanisms to implement additional health and welfare-related interventions.
To further support quality education, 32,916 new teaching positions have been created for fiscal year 2026 to help address teacher shortages and improve the delivery of basic education.
To allow teachers to focus more on classroom instruction, DepEd has hired 10,000 School Counselor Associates, 11,268 Administrative Officers II, 5,000 Project Development Officers, 6,000 principals, and filled 32,916 newly created teaching positions.
The Expanded Career Progression System also provides teachers with clearer pathways for professional growth and promotion while allowing them to advance in their careers without leaving the classroom.
A total of 82,092 teachers and school heads have been promoted under the program, while 135,063 more are proposed for promotion in fiscal year 2027.
Meanwhile, P12,089,952 has been proposed to increase the number of promotions under the Expanded Career Progression System.
DepEd also provides a P7,000 medical allowance to teaching and non-teaching personnel and a P25,000 relocation allowance to eligible teachers transferred to another station due to service requirements.
Upon the approval of the Last Mile and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) Bill and the issuance of its implementing rules and regulations, teaching and non-teaching personnel in eligible schools will also be entitled to transportation and housing allowances, in addition to their existing benefits.
DepEd is also finalizing a memorandum of agreement with the Pag-IBIG Fund to formalize a partnership that will allow teachers to avail themselves of exclusive discounts of up to 45 percent on Pag-IBIG's acquired assets under the Group Sale Program.
By leveraging the large number of interested DepEd personnel, the initiative aims to consolidate enough collective bids to qualify for the maximum discount, making homeownership more affordable for education workers.
DepEd also reported that 3,364 classrooms have been completed since the 2025 SONA.
As of June 2026, the estimated nationwide classroom backlog stands at 143,543, down from 165,443 at the start of the Marcos administration.
Looking ahead to SONA 2026, DepEd said priorities include building new classrooms equipped with school furniture, WASH facilities, accessibility features, site development, and utilities, as well as improving school mapping, enrollment projections, and infrastructure monitoring systems to ensure operational readiness and digital connectivity in schools.
