EDUCATION Secretary Sonny Angara yesterday said there is an “overwhelming” response from the private sector to assist the department in resolving the perennial problem of classroom shortage through Public Private Partnership.
Angara earlier said the department plans to resolve the current 165,000-classroom backlog through PPP, with an initial target of constructing 15,000 classrooms by 2027.
The initiative under the PPP School Infrastructure Project, according to Angara, will cost between P37.5 billion to P60 billion and benefit over 600,000 students nationwide.
It is also expected to generate at least 18,000 jobs.
He said this early, the DepEd has received a positive response from the private sector.
“Very good. Nagawa na ito isang dekada ang nakaraan at may nag-participate na mga pribadong kumpanya (This was a decade ago and there were many private companies that participated),” Angara said.
He, however, added the concept was not pursued by the previous administration.
“So, binubuhay natin under President Marcos Jr. At palagay ko makakahabol tayo (I think this is doable),” he added.
The problem is immense, Angara acknowledged, adding that in 2024, the DepEd was only able to construct over 2,000 classrooms nationwide.
“We are pursuing the PPP route with the support of the President, wherein we will frontload the construction of new classrooms. Because last year, we were only able to do over 2,000 new classrooms,” he explained.
He said if the current pace of 2,000 to 5,000 new classrooms every year is maintained, the DepEd would not be able to thoroughly address the classroom shortage, especially with the annual increase in enrollment.
“If we do 2,000 to 5,000 classrooms every year, the backlog is over 100,000. We will not be able na mahabol ‘yan kahit 20 years o 30 years. So, there is a need to tap the private sector through the PPP,” he said.
He said they have a roadmap to scale up classroom construction to 30,000 and 60,000 from the planned 15,000 initial targets in subsequent phases.
Last year, Angara promised dramatic action to address the classroom shortage.
During the Senate hearing on the DepEd budget for 2024, the department said it would need at least P397 billion to address the current classroom backlogs. Each classroom costs around P2 million.
The classroom shortage led some schools in highly-congested areas in Metro Manila, Cebu City and parts of Calabarzon to implement three shifts of classes every day.