DepEd: Classroom shortage still at 165,000
Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara on Monday said the classroom backlog nationwide still stands at 165,000—a problem expected to have once again an impact when the incoming school year starts.
Three weeks before School Year 2025-2026 opens on June 16, Angara admitted that some public schools may again need to implement shifting of classes—some double, others triple, even—due to the lack of classrooms.
'We're now at around 165,000 [classroom shortage] and growing kasi hindi na kakayanin nung current budget to meet the ano eh… It would take us 30 years, probably, if we work with the current budget,' Angara told reporters.
(We're now at around 165,000 classroom shortage and growing because the current budget will not be able to meet the need to construct these. It would take us 30 years, probably, if we work with the current budget.)
'Buong bansa kasi ang kakulangan eh especially in populated areas like Region 4-A and NCR, grabe 'yung… All the cities actually all over the country, mataas ang backlog,' he added.
(The classroom shortage is all over the country, especially in populated areas like Region 4-A and NCR, it's serious... The classroom backlog in all the cities in the country is high. There are hundreds of thousands per city.)
School Year 2025-2026 is set to open on June 16, 2025 and end on March 31, 2026.
Angara underscored the need to provide a strong internet connection in key areas so that 'independent learners,' particularly incoming senior high school students, may be able to study at home, just like in other countries.
Under the 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), P28 billion was appropriated in DepEd's budget for the basic education facilities, which includes P7.18 billion for the construction of new kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school buildings.
It also includes a P6.13 billion budget for the rehabilitation, renovation, repair, and improvement of the school buildings under the 'Repair All Policy."
'Para 'yung mga kailangan talagang nasa loob ng classroom, kailangan kausap talaga ang mga teachers, 'yun 'yung mga Nursery, Grade 1, Kindergarten dahil 'yun palang ang natututo at kailangan matuto magbasa, kailangan matuto magsalita. 'Yan talaga kailangan nasa loob ng classroom,' he explained.
(This is so learners who really need to be in classrooms and learn directly from teachers—those in Nursery, Kindergarten, and Grade 1—will be able to occupy the classrooms instead.)
Angara on Monday afternoon attended the launch of Generation Hope—a partnership of several brands with DepEd to help address the urgent need of building more public school classrooms in the country.
The DepEd chief emphasized that such a partnership would help hasten the classroom construction and also help DepEd in meeting its deficits, considering the incoming school year.
'Malaking bagay 'to kasi nga diba nabawasan kami ng budget nitong 2025 so ito, makakatulong do'n sa kakulangan natin sa classrooms. 'Yung ibang programa ng DepEd, mabigyan ng focus tapos may katulong tayo dito,' he said.
(This is a big help because our budget for 2025 was cut, so this will help address our lack of classrooms. The DepEd can focus on its other programs, and we will be assisted in classroom construction.) –NB, GMA Integrated News
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
GMA Network
2 days ago
- GMA Network
DepEd pushes teacher education reforms through TEC
The Department of Education (DepEd) on Saturday reiterated its call for teacher education reforms through the Teacher Education Council (TEC). In a statement on Saturday, DepEd Secretary and TEC Chairman Sonny Angara said that improving the quality of teachers is vital in improving the quality of education in the country. 'Kung gusto nating makakita ng pagbabago sa bawat silid-aralan, kailangan nating tiyakin na ang bawat guro ay handa, may sapat na kaalaman, at may tuloy-tuloy na suporta. Dito nagsisimula ang tunay na reporma,' he said. (If we want to see a change in every classroom, we need to ensure that every teacher is ready with enough knowledge and has continuous support. This is where true reforms begin.) The statement comes after the first annual TEC report 4 listed challenges in teacher preparation, licensing, and professional development as factors that affect the quality of education. The TEC is a body tasked with creating a teacher education roadmap under RA 11713. Among its mandates is setting basic requirements for teacher education programs. It also needs to formulate a strategic plan to proactively develop Teacher Education-Centers of Excellence in every region and province. The TEC has already implemented several reforms in line with its goals, including a reframed pre-service teacher education curriculum, profiling of 1,570 Teacher Education Institutions, and coordination with the PRC for specialization-based licensure exams by September 2025. 'We are building a better education system from the ground up, and that starts with preparing our teachers,' added Angara. —Jiselle Anne Casucian/ VAL, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
3 days ago
- GMA Network
DepEd to get P28B for classrooms, education facilities in 2026 NEP
DepEd said it will adopt flood and typhoon-resilient designs in its classroom, especially in flood zones. (File photo) The Department of Education (DepEd) has allocated P28 billion for next year to support basic education facilities, including the construction, repair, and rehabilitation of classrooms to help address the shortage and overcrowding of students in some schools. With a P863.3-billion budget under the 2026 National Expenditure Program submitted by Malacanang to Congress, DepEd will receive the lion's share of the P6.793 trillion national budget for next year. The amount for the basic education facilities will be allocated as follows: P13.24 billion: For the construction, replacement, and completion of kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school buildings and technical vocational laboratories; installation or replacement of disability access facilities; the construction of water and sanitation facilities; and site improvement such as school ground site levelling, slope protection, demolition of obstructions and unsafe structures, and construction of drainage system, fence and gate, among others, in all income class municipalities and cities. P2 billion: For the construction of kindergarten, elementary, and secondary medium-rise school buildings and technical vocational laboratories; installation or replacement of disability access facilities; construction of water and sanitation facilities; and site improvement. P56 million: For the construction of Alternative Learning System Community Learning Centers. P6.13 billion: For the rehabilitation, renovation, repair, and improvement of kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school buildings following the "Repair All Policy." among others; P500 million: For priority school health facilities for the construction, replacement, repair, rehabilitation of water systems, handwashing facilities, toilet facilities, and other health and sanitation-related facilities of the schools and their adaptation for accessibility of persons with disabilities to avoid the spread of diseases and ensure health and sanitation in schools; P209 million: For the conversion of Special Education (SPED) centers into Inclusive Learning Resource Centers (ILRCs) in various regions. P1 billion: For the construction, repair, rehabilitation, or replacement of library hub buildings. P1 billion: For the conduct of preliminary and detailed engineering activities such as site validation, subsoil exploration, perimeter survey, and geotechnical evaluation, including expenses for site validation activities, and the hiring of engineers. P2.61 billion: For the acquisition of school desks, furniture and fixtures to ensure that all newly constructed and existing kindergarten, elementary, and secondary school buildings are provided with the corresponding number of school desks, furniture and fixtures. P1.29 billion: For the electrification of unenergized schools or off-grid schools and modernization of electrical systems of on-grid schools. Overall, the 2026 budget proposal gives a significant boost to key DepEd programs, including P13.63 billion for the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) voucher program, P5.9 billion for textbook procurement, and P4.17 billion for the feeding program. Malacañang earlier emphasized that education remains the top government priority, noting that the proposed allocation is meant to address learning gaps, improve facilities, and upgrade teaching resources. The budget bill is now under congressional scrutiny ahead of the 2026 fiscal year. In a recent press statement, DepEd said its strategy incorporates a national classroom master plan using demographic trends and site-level data, aiming to program funds efficiently through the Basic Education Facilities Fund and Quick Response Fund. DepEd engineers will monitor construction, with inter-agency validation ensuring transparency and quality. Flood and typhoon-resilient designs are also being adopted—such as stilted classrooms and elevated structures with waterproofed roofing, particularly in regions like Bicol. DepEd also supports the proposed Classroom Building Acceleration Program (CAP) under Senate Bill No. 121, emphasizing that it should be built on the national master plan, with clear shared roles, priority targeting of high-need areas, and centralized monitoring. The education sector got the largest allocation in the proposed 2026 NEP—P1.224 trillion—upholding the constitutional mandate to prioritize education funding. This includes P928.5 billion for DepEd, P134.9 billion for State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), P33.9 billion for CHED, and P20.2 billion for TESDA. Teachers' allowances were increased to ensure a doubled rate of P10,000 per month starting SY 2025–2026.—LDF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
4 days ago
- GMA Network
Unprogrammed appropriations slashed to P250 billion in proposed 2026 budget
Unprogrammed appropriations exist 'outside the approved government fiscal program, which serve as an important tool for the government to address unforeseen expenditures and prioritize essential programs and projects,' the DBM said. File photo The Marcos administration is reducing the amount as well as the share of unprogrammed appropriations or 'standby funds' in the proposed P6.793-trillion national budget next year. Based on the Fiscal Year 2026 National Expenditure Program (NEP), the budget level for unprogrammed appropriations amounts to P249.99 billion, slashed by 68.79% from the P363.42 billion level in the Fiscal Year 2025 General Appropriations Act (GAA), net of vetoed items at over P168 billion. The amount is equivalent to 3.68% of the proposed 2026 NEP, also lower than unprogrammed appropriations' 5.7% share in the 2025 GAA. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) defines unprogrammed appropriations as those that provide standby authority to incur additional agency obligations for priority programs or projects when revenue collection exceeds targets, and when additional grants or foreign funds are generated while appropriations with definite/identified funding as of the time the budget is prepared. In simple terms, unprogrammed appropriations are akin to planned household purchases that may only proceed if extra money is available, either from additional income, like bonuses or from loans. The unprogrammed appropriations were among the contentions in the controversial 2025 GAA amid allegations of insertions during the bicam—an issue which compelled both chambers of Congress to open the bicameral conference committee meetings to the public. During the Kapihan sa Manila Bay Forum on Thursday, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman defended the practice of having standby funds or unprogrammed appropriations in the national budget. 'You know the unprogrammed [appropriations] it's a standby fund… marami din naman nagagawa 'yan [it can accomplish a lot],' Pangandaman said. The Budget chief cited that standby funds were tapped to finance the health emergency benefits of healthcare workers. The Budget Department had earlier explained that unprogrammed appropriations exist 'outside the approved government fiscal program, which serve as an important tool for the government to address unforeseen expenditures and prioritize essential programs and projects.' For her part, DBM Undersecretary Mary Anne dela Vega said the Budget Department maintains a 'ceratin percentage at least mga 5% of the total expenditure program' for the unprogrammed appropriations. 'We stick to our proposal that it should be 5% or lower of the total expenditure program,' dela Vega said during the news forum. The breakdown of the proposed P249.99- billion unprogrammed appropriations were as follows: Strengthening Assistance for Government Infrastructure and Social Programs - P80.86 billion Budgetary Support to Government-Owned and/or Controlled Corporations - P6.895 billion Support to Foreign-Assisted Projects - P97.3 billion Program on Risk Management - P3.6 billion Refund of the Service Development Fee for the Right to Develop the Nampeidai Property in Tokyo, Japan - P210.6 million Prior Years' LGU Shares - P14.62 million Public Health Emergency Benefits and Allowance for Health Care and Non-Health Care Workers - P6.76 billion Revised AFP Modernization Program - P50 billion Fiscal Support Arrearages for Comprehensive Automotive Resurgence Strategy Program - P33.5 billion Marawi Siege Victims Compensation Program - P2 billion Comprehensive and Adequate Insurance Protection of Strategically Important Government Assets and Interest - P2 billion Pangandaman said the release of unprogrammed appropriations can be triggered by excess revenues, as certified by the Bureau of the Treasury, as well as additional foreign funds such as loans or grants. — BM, GMA Integrated News
