DepEd eyes building new classrooms through public-private partnerships

Education Secretary Sonny Angara

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Wednesday that it is prioritizing the construction of new classrooms and school buildings to address the backlog.

According to Education Secretary Sonny Angara, the agency “pushing for” public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a key solution to classroom backlogs.

“This means large-scale projects, such as 1,000 classrooms. We will bid out 1,000 school buildings and offer them to the private sector for construction,” Angara said in Filipino.

During a recent dialogue with school leaders and teachers in La Paz, Tarlac, Angara also urged community members to help disseminate information about the agency’s Adopt-A-School Program

He highlighted that the law provides tax benefits to companies that have adopted schools.

“Other business owners or charitable organizations may not know this, but inform them that they can deduct the cost from their taxable income when they donate a school building,” he said.

Angara also said DepEd is prioritizing digital technology to enhance learning opportunities and introduce innovations to students and teachers, especially in preparation for the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment tests.

He urged education officials to strengthen preparations with practice tests, emphasizing the importance of developing students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, and analytical skills.

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