DBM releases P17.27B to fast-track construction of 4,960 classrooms

The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) on Tuesday said it approved the release of P17.27 billion to the Department of Education (DepEd) to fast-track the construction of 4,960 classrooms nationwide.

In a news release, the DBM said Budget Secretary Rolando Toledo approved a Special Allotment Release Order (SARO) for this purpose on April 13, 2026.

The amount will fund the construction of thousands of classrooms all over the country, including the provision of essential school furniture and fixtures.

The fund release was charged against the P85.40-billion Basic Education Facilities (BEF) Fund under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), the Budget Department said.

The agency said the release is a decisive step toward closing the country's classroom gap and ensuring that every Filipino learner has access to a safe, conducive, and dignified learning environment.

The DBM added that the release also reinforces the President's Nationwide Classroom Building Program, which institutionalizes a landmark partnership between DepEd and local government units (LGUs) to accelerate the construction, rehabilitation, and repair of classrooms nationwide.

"Through this whole-of-government and whole-of-nation approach, the administration aims to ensure that no learner is left behind due to distance, poverty, and the lack of classrooms," it said.

Earlier this week, the DepEd and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) signed a new agreement to expedite the construction of school buildings nationwide and address a classroom shortage of more than 144,000 units. — VDV, GMA News