IMEE MARCOS QUESTIONS DEPED’S P85-B CLASSROOM BUDGET AMID LOW SPENDING

Senator Imee Marcos flagged the sharp increase in the Department of Education’s (DepEd) classroom construction budget to ₱85 billion for 2026, despite the agency’s low 23 percent fund utilization rate.

She questioned whether simply increasing the budget would effectively address classroom shortages for students and teachers.

Senate Finance Chair Sherwin Gatchalian noted that around 165,000 classrooms are still needed and said the government plans to use partnerships with PPPs, LGUs, CSOs, and NGOs to accelerate construction.

Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino criticized the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for completing only 60 classrooms this year and called for the passage of his Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act.

Lawmakers emphasized that past DPWH priorities, such as flood control projects, contributed to the slow classroom construction and that stronger measures are needed to address the backlog.

Source: PhilNews24 | December 15, 2025