The Department of Education on Monday, 19 January 2026, announced that it will begin rolling out bamboo-made school furniture to selected public schools starting February.
The move is in line with Executive Order No. 879, s. 2010, which mandates that at least 20 percent of school furniture be made from bamboo.
From February to March 2026, DepEd will distribute 144,081 sets of tables and chairs for learners and 3,235 sets for teachers, prioritizing the replacement of worn, shared, or unusable furniture that disrupts daily classroom activities.
The department said the policy, issued more than a decade ago, is now being implemented through the procurement and delivery of climate-resilient, engineered bamboo furniture.
Apart from furniture distribution, DepEd said the construction of 5,766 classrooms worth P16.19 billion is currently underway under the For Issuance of Special Allotment Release Order (FISARO) Batch 1.
Of the total amount, the agency aims to construct 2,333 Learning Continuity Spaces valued at P3.5 billion, as well as another 1,333 LCS worth P2 billion under the Disaster Preparedness and Response Program.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the department is also targeting the construction of 800 Last Mile Schools classrooms amounting to P3 billion, along with 1,300 additional classrooms with approved Programs of Works worth another P3 billion.
Under FISARO Batch 1, DepEd also allocated P3.69 billion for the procurement of 24,424 teachers’ tables and chairs and 1,099,111 learners’ tables and chairs nationwide.
Meanwhile, under FISARO Batch 2, the department has set aside P11.35 billion for the completion of 2,067 classrooms, the repair of 11,886 classrooms, and the restoration of 258 Gabaldon school buildings.
DepEd said it has also funded the construction and improvement of school health facilities, amounting to P500 million.