San juan city: Senator Bam Aquino announced that the government aims to initiate the construction of 25,000 classrooms in 2026, with local government units (LGUs) playing a crucial role in delivering the majority of these projects. This initiative seeks to accelerate the construction process and reduce costs.

According to Philippines News Agency, during a dialogue held in San Juan City on accelerating classroom-building in cities and municipalities, Aquino emphasized the importance of adhering to clear timelines to tackle the country's classroom shortage, which currently stands at an estimated 166,000 rooms. He highlighted that single- or double-story classrooms could be completed within a period of 90 to 120 days.

As the chair of the Senate Committee on Education, Culture and Arts, Aquino underscored the necessity of LGU involvement due to the limited capacity of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). He noted that the DPWH can manage the construction of only 2,000 to 3,000 classrooms, while LGUs are expected to shoulder the bulk of the construction work.

Aquino pointed out the cost-effectiveness of LGU-led projects, which range from PHP1.5 million to PHP1.8 million per classroom, compared to previous projects costing about PHP3.5 million. He criticized the earlier projects for being both slow and overpriced, stressing the objective of delivering classrooms "at the right time and at the right price."

The dialogue saw the attendance of over 200 mayors, with more than 800 LGUs expressing interest in undertaking the construction projects. Aquino mentioned that LGUs have various options, such as building new classrooms, repairing existing ones, or leasing and purchasing available buildings to quickly expand capacity.

Furthermore, Aquino assured that the Senate committee will closely monitor the utilization of the PHP66-billion classroom budget to ensure its proper allocation and use.