CAINTA, Rizal (PIA) — More than 6,000 classrooms will rise in the Calabarzon region by 2026 under the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Public-Private Partnership (PPP) for School Infrastructure Program.
Eduarda Zapanta, the chief of DepEd Calabarzon’s Education Support Services Division, said the new classrooms amounting to P850 million will address classroom shortage in at least 58 schools where the buildings will be constructed.
“The more congested the school is, the more qualified it is to be identified as a recipient. As we can see, this program is proportionate and justifiable because it is computed based on the number of students,” she said.
Various schools in the region’s five provinces have been identified where new buildings will be constructed based on DepEd’s five-year Comprehensive School Facilities Development Plan (CSFDP) using a regional database for constructing and repairing school facilities.
Zapanta explained that part of the plan is to construct more classrooms until 2030 to close the classroom gap estimated at 29,544 classrooms.
The CSFDP outlines the total facilities requirements for each public school in the country, organized by priority and feasibility of implementation. It details the overall physical and financial needs for the construction, replacement, and major repairs of school buildings, as well as water and sanitation facilities, including site improvements.
The school infrastructure program, meanwhile, will prioritize construction in the most overcrowded schools to alleviate classroom congestion.
The official noted that the Education department had considered the recent typhoons that hit southern Luzon, particularly Calabarzon and Bicol regions, in its classroom allocations.
The Calabarzon region, which was ravaged by typhoon Kristine in 2024, holds the second largest budget of P850 million or 12 percent of the program’s total funding.
“Region 5 (Bicol) has the highest budget allocation, followed by Calabarzon. We are taking into consideration the recent calamities [in these areas],”
“Normally, the construction of school buildings can go up to a year. If we allocate a budget for the buildings like here in Calabarzon, we have 58 schools that should be constructed under the 2025 budget. And by next school year, they [the students] will benefit.”
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said the classrooms will be completed by 2026. (PB/PIA4A)
The CSFDP outlines the total facilities requirements for each public school in the country, organized by priority and feasibility of implementation. It details the overall physical and financial needs for the construction, replacement, and major repairs of school buildings, as well as water and sanitation facilities, including site improvements.
The school infrastructure program, meanwhile, will prioritize construction in the most overcrowded schools to alleviate classroom congestion.
The official noted that the Education department had considered the recent typhoons that hit southern Luzon, particularly Calabarzon and Bicol regions, in its classroom allocations.
The Calabarzon region, which was ravaged by typhoon Kristine in 2024, holds the second largest budget of P850 million or 12 percent of the program’s total funding.
“Region 5 (Bicol) has the highest budget allocation, followed by Calabarzon. We are taking into consideration the recent calamities [in these areas],”
“Normally, the construction of school buildings can go up to a year. If we allocate a budget for the buildings like here in Calabarzon, we have 58 schools that should be constructed under the 2025 budget. And by next school year, they [the students] will benefit.”
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said the classrooms will be completed by 2026. (PB/PIA4A)
