Treñas-Chu backs LGU role in national classroom building program

By Rjay Zuriaga Castor

Iloilo City Mayor Raisa Treñas-Chu hailed the expanded role of local government units in fast-tracking classroom construction, describing it as a “strong national-local synergy” that will help address chronic shortages in public schools.

Treñas-Chu was among the local chief executives who signed a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Education for the program dubbed “Constructing Our Future: DepEd and Cities for a Nationwide Classroom Building Program.”

The signing ceremony was held Monday, Feb. 23, at Malacañang Palace and was led by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

The agreement marks the second batch of partnerships under the administration’s Nationwide Classroom Building Program, which aims to reduce the country’s classroom backlog estimated at 144,758 units as of January 2026.

Treñas-Chu said the partnership reflects a shared commitment between the national and local governments to close the classroom gap through faster and more collaborative approaches.

“It is a clear message that when the national and local governments move together, we can accelerate solutions that truly matter to our learners,” she said.

Under the arrangement, city governments will lead procurement, construction, and project management to speed up implementation, while DepEd will set standards and validate compliance before project turnover and payment.

Treñas-Chu said Iloilo City will tap its Special Education Fund, combined with funds downloaded by DepEd, to ensure classrooms are built faster and maintained as quality learning spaces.

“This strong national-local synergy ensures that our schools will continue to grow alongside the needs of our learners,” she said.

Marcos underscored the urgency of addressing classroom congestion, noting that shortages result in overcrowded classes, shifting schedules, and heavier burdens on teachers and parents.

“We cannot wait for decades, years, to give every student a safe and conducive classroom for effective learning,” the president said.

The initiative is backed by PHP 85.4 billion under the 2026 General Appropriations Act allocated for basic education facilities.

Of the total, PHP 9.6 billion will fund about 4,000 classrooms under the first tranche, while an additional PHP 5.96 billion will support the construction of around 1,700 more classrooms through the newly signed agreements.

Safeguards include tranche-based fund releases, dedicated trust accounts, and mandatory monthly and quarterly reporting to DepEd to ensure accountability.

“Sa pamamagitan ng Memorandum of Agreement na nilagdaan ninyo ngayon, binibigyan natin ng mas malaking papel ang mga lungsod sa bansa,” Marcos said. (“Through the Memorandum of Agreement you signed today, we are giving cities in the country a bigger role.”)

“Tiyakin natin hindi maaantala ang mga proyekto. Tiyakin natin de-kalidad ang ating maitatayo na silid-aralan. Tiyakin din natin na ang bawat sentimo na pinaghirapan ng ating mga kababayan ay gagamitin sa tama,” he added. (“Let us ensure projects will not be delayed. Let us ensure quality in the classrooms we will build. Let us also ensure that every centavo earned by our countrymen will be used properly.”)

Beyond infrastructure, the administration is also advancing complementary reforms, including the expansion of the ARAL Program, faster procurement of learning materials, and improved career progression pathways for teachers.