Education Secretary Sonny Angara has unveiled the Department of Education’s (DepEd) strategy to address the country’s shortage of 165,000 classrooms through Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs), with an initial goal of building 15,000 classrooms by 2027.
Angara shared the plan with President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. during a recent meeting in Malacañang, following the December 2024 signing of a Technical Assistance Agreement with the PPP Center.
This effort, part of the PPP School Infrastructure Project (PSIP 3), is estimated to cost between ₱37.5 billion and ₱60 billion, benefiting over 600,000 students across the nation and creating at least 18,000 jobs.
Photo courtesy: DepEd Philippines
“The classroom gap is a massive challenge, but we believe that leveraging private investments through PPPs is the most efficient and sustainable way to address this,” Angara said.
DepEd has also outlined a plan to expand classroom construction to 30,000 and 60,000 through PSIP 4 and 5.
Beyond addressing infrastructure needs, DepEd is leading initiatives to provide public schools with electricity and digital resources through PPPs to enhance learning outcomes.
Scheduled for implementation by mid-2026, the digitalization and solarization initiative aims to supply electricity to off-grid schools, provide Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet to schools without connectivity, and distribute tablets for students and laptops for teachers.
This connectivity is expected to significantly improve teaching effectiveness and offer Filipino students access to a wealth of educational resources previously beyond their reach.
“With a combination of strategic partnerships and digital investments, DepEd is committed to bridging both the classroom and digital divides to create a future-ready education system producing competitive and highly employable graduates,” Angara said.
Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the Department of Education (DepEd) refer to collaborative agreements between the government and private sector entities to address various challenges in the education system.
These partnerships combine public resources and expertise with the efficiency, innovation, and investment capabilities of private companies.