Governor Arthur Defensor, Jr. joined President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and other national and local officials in the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the Department of Education (DepEd) and local government units (LGUs) to accelerate the construction of classrooms nationwide.
The agreement seeks to address the country’s 145,000-classroom backlog, with around 4,000 new classrooms targeted under its first tranche. Of the P9.6 billion initial allocation, P4.1 billion will fund about 1,200 classrooms to be built by provincial governments, while over P5 billion will cover 2,800 pre-fabricated classrooms to be delivered by DepEd.
President Marcos said the partnership will give LGUs a greater role in procurement and construction to cut delays and ensure faster completion, while DepEd will set technical standards and provide funding.
“For students, it means classrooms will be completed sooner. For our teachers, it translates to a safer, a more conducive environment that they can teach in. And for parents, this gives them peace of mind, knowing that their children are learning in better facilities,” President Marcos said.
The initiative is backed by P85.39 billion under the 2026 General Appropriations Act for basic education facilities.
For Iloilo, the partnership reinforces the province’s ongoing education reform program, Bulig Eskwela sang Probinsya (BES Probins), which prioritizes the construction of typhoon-resilient classrooms and the replacement of makeshift learning spaces.
In the 2025 Iloilo Provincial Education Summit, Defensor cited DepEd data showing a shortage of 1,655 classrooms in Iloilo, with 7,279 more needing major repair.
The governor also committed to spend P600 million from the province’s Special Education Fund (SEF) for classroom construction and repairs.
From 2022 to 2025, the provincial government has already invested P355 million in building and rehabilitating classrooms, including 29 typhoon-resilient structures and temporary facilities to ensure that no learner is left without a space to study.
With the DepEd-LGU MOA in place, Iloilo is now positioned to tap national funds and local resources to fast-track building of more classrooms.
📷 Presidential Communications Office
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