EDUCATION Secretary Sonny Angara has urged the private sector to play a central role in helping the government address the 165,000-classroom shortage and modernize public schools, warning that delays in infrastructure and digital access continue to limit learning opportunities for millions of Filipino students.
Speaking before business leaders at the Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) leadership forum in Makati City, Angara said the scale and urgency of the education crisis require deeper collaboration between government and industry.
The education chief said the department is pursuing large-scale public-private partnerships (PPP) to accelerate the construction of classrooms and improve school infrastructure.
These partnerships are expected to deliver up to 106,000 classrooms in the coming years as part of a broader strategy to close the nationwide deficit.
“PPP is the bridge between urgency and execution,” Angara said. “We invite the private sector not as donors, but as co-architects of national development.”
He explained that traditional government procurement for classrooms can take two to seven years, while PPP arrangements can shorten delivery timelines to as little as one to two years by streamlining approvals and consolidating procurement processes.
The Department of Education has already secured approval for the construction of an initial 16,000 classrooms under the latest phase of its PPP program, targeting areas with the most severe shortages.
To explore faster and more efficient construction methods, Angara also recently visited a concrete prefabricated and modular structures plant in Mariveles, Bataan, together with Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon.
During the visit, they inspected a four-storey building designed using shell-type and full modular structures, as well as a sample classroom capable of accommodating more than 50 students.
Because the structures use full modular design, installation can be completed faster and more efficiently compared to traditional school construction methods.
Beyond physical infrastructure, Angara said the department is also pursuing a nationwide digital transformation to equip schools with connectivity, devices, and modern education technology.
Through its PSIP Connect initiative, DepEd aims to establish a nationwide digital backbone that will support teaching, learning, and school management systems.
“We are embedding technology into the core of our system to ensure that Filipino learners are prepared for the future,” he said.
He cited DepEd’s partnership with Khan Academy, which now supports over 2,800 public schools nationwide.
The program has helped improve student performance in mathematics and allowed teachers to save time in lesson preparation, demonstrating the potential of digital tools to strengthen learning outcomes.
Present at the forum were representatives from leading business and professional organizations, including the PBEd, Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Employers Confederation of the Philippines, Philippine Constructors Association, Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, and the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Inc.
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