MANILA – The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) backed proposals to partner with local government units (LGUs) and private groups to speed up classroom construction, as the country faces a 165,000-classroom shortage that forces many schools into multi-shift schedules, especially affecting Kinder to Grade 3 pupils.

The Senate Basic Education Committee’s first hearing in the 20th Congress on Monday tackled the shortage, with EDCOM 2 citing the need for faster and cheaper construction through LGU and private sector collaboration. Many classrooms in use date back to the 1960s, with some condemned or repurposed as evacuation centers.

EDCOM 2 Co-Chair Sen. Bam Aquino said about 5.1 million students sit in aisles due to the lack of chairs, while many more are affected by double or triple shifts. Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee stressed that overcrowded and dilapidated classrooms hinder learning, urging immediate reforms.

Cost gap in construction
Aquino noted discrepancies in classroom construction costs: DepEd prices each at ₱2.5 million, DPWH at ₱3.5 million, while LGU-funded builds cost around ₱2.1 million and public-private partnerships only ₱1.5 million. DPWH costs reportedly range from ₱29,838 to ₱36,067 per square meter, far higher than the ₱8,000–₱10,000 per square meter achieved by the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the ₱862,500-per-classroom rate of Angat Buhay Foundation.

EDCOM 2 Commissioner Sen. Loren Legarda questioned why DPWH costs are almost double those of the private sector. “I cannot imagine, for the life of me, na almost double,” she said.

Aquino also said LGU-private partnerships can finish classrooms in under a year, while national agencies take years. Sen. Kiko Pangilinan criticized the delay: “Mas mahal na, mas mabagal pa.”

Proposed solution
Aquino is pushing Senate Bill No. 121, the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act, which authorizes LGUs and private entities to construct classrooms with national government funding support. Sen. Win Gatchalian, citing Valenzuela City’s experience with counterpart funding, said simultaneous construction under such partnerships can deliver results within a year.

Aquino warned that without urgent action, it could take more than five presidential terms to close the classroom gap.