Manila: The Department of Education (DepEd) will sign a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and local government units (LGUs) to address the classroom backlog in the country, Malaca±ang said on Wednesday. The signing of the MOA is in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to provide direct funding to LGUs for the construction of classrooms in the country, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said in a press briefing.

According to Philippines News Agency, a memorandum of agreement is set to be signed by the DPWH, DepEd, and local government units to implement the initiative. Castro highlighted President Marcos’s emphasis on addressing the classroom shortage promptly for the benefit of students, expressing that delays in action are not acceptable. However, Castro did not indicate when the MOA is expected to be signed.

She mentioned that President Marcos wants the swift construction and improvement of classrooms, following concerns raised by DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara. Angara on Tuesday highlighted delays caused by the DPWH’s sole implementation of all DepEd-funded projects since 2018, noting that only 22 out of the 1,700 classrooms targeted for completion this year have been finished by the DPWH.

Castro explained that under the MOA, funds will be entrusted to the LGUs, while the implementation and classroom construction will be monitored by the DPWH and DepEd. She added that approximately 2,370 classrooms will be constructed through the partnership between DepEd, DPWH, and LGUs, with a target to complete about 2,000 classrooms by the third quarter of 2026.

President Marcos Jr. believes that having proper and sustainable classrooms in the country will serve as the foundation of knowledge, learning, and excellence for Filipino youth, a vision being advanced under the New Philippines, Castro said.