Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Despite being affected by super typhoon Carina and Habagat, teachers and parents at Bagong Silangan Elementery School in Quezon City clean classroom, paints arm chairs and prepare the classroom on Sunday, July 28, 2024, a day before the first day of School Year 2024-2025 tomorrow July 29. DepEd said that over 1,000 chools in Metro Manila, Ilocos region, Central Luzon and Soccsksargen region have opted to postpone the opening of classes. Maria Tan ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Katrina Domingo

ABS-CBN News

<div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/175973051615320240728-school preparation-MT-5.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/>Despite being affected by super typhoon Carina and Habagat, teachers and parents at Bagong Silangan Elementery School in Quezon City clean classroom, paints arm chairs and prepare the classroom on Sunday, July 28, 2024, a day before the first day of School Year 2024-2025 tomorrow July 29. DepEd said that over 1,000 chools in Metro Manila, Ilocos region, Central Luzon and Soccsksargen region have opted to postpone the opening of classes. Maria Tan ABS-CBN News</div><div> </div>MANILA — President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday ordered the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to “speed up the planning and implementation process” of the construction of new classrooms to meet government targets by 2028.In the same speech delivered before government officials and global development partners, Marcos Jr. instructed the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) to “accelerate the review of public-private partnership proposals for school buildings.”“To DPWH and to the DepEd, speed up the planning and implementation process so we can meet our target of building and rehabilitating thousands of classrooms by 2028,” Marcos Jr. said during the Philippine Development Forum 2025.“No child should be forced to learn in makeshift spaces, and no teacher should be burdened by a system that does not support them,” he said.The Philippines&#x27; classroom backlog stands at around 165,000, and the government needs to build some 55,000 annually to address the shortage by 2028, according to data from the DepEd.In his 2025 State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos Jr. committed to build 40,000 new classrooms before he steps down as President in 2028.“True progress goes beyond numbers and charts. It must be a lived experience—felt by people through quality education, better healthcare, [and] sustainable livelihoods,” Marcos Jr. said.“To achieve this vision, we must place education at the very heart of our national development,” he said.The Philippines has “strategically channeled Official Development Assistance or ODA toward our vital sectors such as education, healthcare, infrastructure, social protection, agriculture, and a very important aspect now, disaster risk resilience,” Marcos Jr.Marcos Jr. also told global development partners that his administration “has intensified our efforts to strengthen our educational system” by “enhancing early childhood care and development, prioritizing foundational skills such as reading and literacy, and ensuring that every learner has a safe and conducive environment for growth.”“The goal is clear: a Philippines where every child, regardless of background or circumstance, has access to quality, future-proof education, and we are taking necessary steps to bring this vision to life,” the President said.“Our national budget serves as our moral and economic compass. It must always point toward making life better for our people,” he said.“Every project, every policy, every program, every peso must move the needle for Filipino families,” he said.

In his 2025 State of the Nation Address, Marcos Jr. committed to build 40,000 new classrooms before he steps down as President in 2028.

In his 2025 State of the Nation Address, Marcos Jr. committed to build 40,000 new classrooms before he steps down as President in 2028.

Marcos orders DepEd, DPWH to 'speed up' classroom construction to hit 2028 target

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Marcos orders DepEd, DPWH to 'speed up' classroom construction to hit 2028 target

Katrina Domingo,

ABS-CBN News

Published Oct 06, 2025 02:08 PM PHT

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Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

education

Philippine Development Forum 2025

classrooms

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