PASIG CITY, 20 December 2024 — A portion of the 165,000 classroom shortage is soon to be addressed by DepEd as Secretary Sonny Angara signed a USD 1 million Technical Assistance Agreement with the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Center on Friday.

The agreement provides technical support for the construction of 15,000 classrooms in 2025 under the PPP for School Infrastructure Program Phase III (PSIP III).

This Project Development and Monitoring Facility grant from the PPP Center aims to streamline the planning and implementation of PSIP III, ensuring a more effective approach to addressing the country’s classroom backlog.

“There is a saying by the poet that a man’s reach should exceed his grasp. And I think, DepEd is definitely exceeding its grasp, in this case, with the help of the PPP Center and the NEDA because how can we ask our learners to exceed their reach if we ourselves do not try to exceed our potentials,” Sec. Angara highlighted.

Creating safe, conducive learning environments remains a top priority in DepEd’s 5-Point Reform Agenda. To tackle these challenges, the agency is reviving its PPP initiatives for school infrastructure while exploring innovative PPP models for other educational facilities, such as bundled campus development, school libraries, and other essential infrastructure. PPPs are a critical component of the reform agenda in basic education, which includes decentralization and digitization.

“He [President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.] would appreciate this partnership today because it’s in line with his directives as this will not only improve the quality of education but also improve the learning environment,” Angara said.

Starting in 2025, DepEd plans to roll out a new wave of PPP projects to design, finance, and construct 15,000 classrooms in approximately 1,600 schools across nine regions. This initiative is expected to benefit over 600,000 learners nationwide.

Following this first wave of 15,000 classrooms, DepEd also has plans to launch follow up waves of up to 90,000 additional classrooms in total, to help bridge the country’s classrooms deficit.

The Education Chief also expressed his gratitude to National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Secretary Arsenio Balisacan for recommending this partnership and noted that NEDA Chief still has future plans to help the education sector.

“Thank you [Sec. Balisacan] for your initiative and we are looking forward working with you. We appreciate the all the time you’ve given us,” Sec. Angara noted.

To maximize the utility of these classrooms as effective learning spaces, DepEd is exploring classroom construction packaged with sustainable energy, internet connectivity, furniture, and water systems. The classrooms will also incorporate sustainability and clima te resiliency features, including solar panel systems and rainwater catchments, ensuring they meet the needs of future generations.

Also present during the signing were PPP Center Executive Director Ma. Cynthia Hernandez, NEDA Sec. Balisacan, Department of Finance (DoF) Usec. Catherine Fong, Private Sector Jobs and Skills Corporation President Josephine Romero, and senior DepEd officials.

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