Schools in Pangasinan continue to face shortages of classrooms, teachers and learning facilities despite ongoing government efforts to improve public education, prompting school officials to call for more funding and support ahead of the new school year.

At Pangasinan National High School in Lingayen, school administrators said they still lack classrooms, laboratories and modern equipment needed for specialized subjects.

Administrative Officer Alberto Zipagan said the school has long requested major maintenance work, but funding remains insufficient.

“Kulang na kulang talaga kami lalo na sa mga laboratories for specialized subjects. Yung mga ginagamit na equipment or apparatus are medyo mahinang specification,” he said.

The school also faces aging infrastructure. Hallways and classrooms show signs of floor scaling, while some buildings have rusting and damaged roof skirts that could become hazardous during heavy rain or strong winds.

At Mangaldan National High School, some long-standing problems are beginning to be addressed. The Department of Education (DepEd) is set to build 12 new classrooms to ease classroom shortages.

The lack of teachers is also being addressed after the DepEd Central Office created 16,000 new teaching positions for School Year 2026–2027.

School officials said the first phase of a new drainage system has also been completed, helping reduce flooding inside the campus.

“Serving the function. Nakatutulong para mapalabas yung stock ng tubig sa loob ng campus,” Principal IV Eduardo Castillo said.

However, Castillo said the school still needs about 500 new chairs, a request that has remained pending for years. During the news team's visit, several students were seen repairing damaged chairs themselves.

“Paulit-ulit nating ni-re-repair at hindi po tayo nabibigyan ng bagong supply ng upuan,” Castillo said.

As President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s State of the Nation Address approaches, school officials renewed their appeal for stronger investment in education.

Zipagan urged the government to closely assess the needs of schools to improve learning conditions.

“Gumawa sana sila ng case study na talagang need ng mga eskwelahan para ma-provide yung tinatawag na quality education,” he said.

GMA Regional TV One North Central Luzon has sought comment from the Department of Education Region 1 regarding the reported shortages and infrastructure concerns in Pangasinan schools but had yet to receive a response, as of posting.