Department of Education (DepEd) revelaed that more than a thousand classrooms across the country remain 'unfinished.'
In a exclusive interview on DZRH’s "Dos Por Dos," Angara said the findings showed in an audit conducted by DepEd, multiple cases where school buildings were turned over incomplete.
“Mayroon kaming nakita na hindi na-complete, hindi naman totally ghost [project], pero hindi tinapos. Parang tinurn over na nang hindi kumpleto ang classroom. Hindi nagagamit ang ibang classroom.,” Angara said.
"Hindi [ito] ghost [project] parang aswang yata dahil hindi nakumpleto," he said.
The DepEd chief stressed that over 1,000 classrooms nationwide fall under this category, some left incomplete for years.
"Ang na-report sa akin, lagpas 1,000 classroom ang hindi tapos. Hindi ko alam ang rason. Baka kinukulang ang pondo, pero hindi magamit ang classroom. Ang importante dapat kumpletuhin ang paggawa," he added.
He added that in some provinces, he saw classrooms that had already been turned over despite lacking paint and electricity.
Angara highlighted that under current budget provisions, while DepEd holds the funds, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is the sole agency authorized to build classrooms.
“DPWH din po, sila po ang nagpapa-bid. Mga kontraktor din po ang gumagawa. Yung pondo kasi nasa budget ng DepEd pero mayroon nilalagay for the last few years ‘yung mga tinatawag na special provisions sa budget na tanging DPWH ang makakagawa ng classrooms,” he explained.
DepEd plans to lobby Congress for more flexibility in the 2026 budget, allowing funds to be directly channeled to local government units (LGUs) or even accredited associations with proven capacity to build classrooms.
"Bumabagal ang construction ng school buildings nitong nakaraang dekada dahil sa dami ng ginagawa ng [DPWH]. Parang hindi naging prayoridad ang paggawa ng classrooms," he said.
"Marami namang LGU na may kakayanan at maaring magbigay ng pondo," the DepEd chief added.
Citing Senate studies, Angara pointed out the high cost of DPWH-led construction, ranging from ₱2.5 to ₱3.7 million per classroom depending on location.
This raises questions about efficiency and potential partnerships with private and community-led initiatives.
Classroom backlog
The Philippines is facing a backlog of around 165,000 classrooms. For 2025, only 4,000 classrooms are allocated in the DepEd budget. Angara underscored the urgent need to scale up construction.
"Ang nakabudget sa taong ito, nasa 4000 na classroom, ang nasa budget ng DepEd. [ang target na maitayo ng DepEd]," he said.
Other lawmakers have also called for reallocation of funds, suggesting that budgets for flood control projects be diverted to education to accelerate classroom construction.
The DepEd is now pushing for reforms that will allow more agencies, LGUs, and even NGOs to help build classrooms to ensure faster delivery and cost-effectiveness in addressing classroom chortage.
