MANILA (October 25) – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday urged local government units (LGUs) to guarantee the timely and high-quality construction of classrooms, warning against substandard projects that could endanger students’ safety.
The President made the call ahead of the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which will allow LGUs to directly receive funds for classroom construction.
Speaking during the distribution of emergency vehicles at the Butuan Sports Complex in Libertad, Butuan City, Marcos stressed the need to overhaul the current system, noting delays in DPWH’s processing of clearances and permits for school buildings.
“The DepEd’s budget goes through the DPWH, and that’s where the processing of permits takes place—it takes too long,” he said. “To speed things up, we are changing the system. From now on, LGUs with the capacity will directly receive funds to build their own schools.”
Marcos expressed confidence in local leaders, saying they will be held accountable to ensure transparency and quality.
“I trust our LGU executives. They cannot undertake ghost projects or substandard work—your constituents will hold you accountable if the work is not done properly,” he said.
Under the new setup, around 2,370 classrooms will be constructed through the partnership among DepEd, DPWH, and LGUs, with about 2,000 targeted for completion by the third quarter of 2026, according to Palace Press Officer Claire Castro.
The President reaffirmed that education remains his administration’s “first and top priority” and vowed to continue equipping schools with modern tools such as computers and Starlink units to improve connectivity and learning.
