MANILA(September 30) — New public school buildings and covered school-furniture procurements must meet enhanced accessibility, safety and disaster-resilience standards beginning fiscal year 2027, under a new Department of Education (DepEd) order.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara issued DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, adopting enhanced minimum performance standards and specifications for DepEd school infrastructure and school furniture. The policy covers new school infrastructure and covered furniture procurement, rather than imposing an across-the-board retrofit requirement on existing schools.
The standards require new school sites to provide wheelchair ramps with a maximum 1:20 incline and non-skid surfaces, as well as tactile paving with warning blocks for visually impaired learners.
The updated requirements replace earlier facility standards and set specifications covering accessibility, classroom capacity, ventilation, sanitation, structural safety, campus security and school furniture.
New school buildings must be designed to withstand super typhoon winds of up to 340 kilometers per hour and magnitude 8.0 earthquakes, while classrooms must meet prescribed standards for space, ventilation and capacity.
The rules also prescribe requirements for foundations, roof structures, fire-retardant materials, toilets and ergonomic, lead-safe furniture.
For existing schools, the order should therefore be read primarily as a standard for new projects and covered procurement, rather than an immediate requirement to rebuild or retrofit all facilities nationwide.
