The Memorandum of Agreement signing between the Department of Education and Local Government Units for the Classroom Building Program was held at Heroes Hall in Malacañang Palace on February 23, led by Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Education Secretary Sonny Angara.
Among the local chief executives who attended the ceremony were Tangub City Mayor Ben Canama, Ozamiz City Mayor Sam Norman Fuentes, and Oroquieta City Mayor Lemuel Meyrick Acosta, all expressing strong support for the nationwide initiative.
The initiative aims to address the country’s shortage of more than 144,000 classrooms by allowing the direct allocation of DepEd funds to local government units for faster and more efficient implementation.
President Marcos emphasized that the program will help provide safe and conducive learning spaces for Filipino children. He also urged local government units to ensure that public funds are properly utilized for the benefit of the Filipino people. “Tiyakin nating hindi maantala ang mga proyekto, delikad ang ipapatayong silid-aralan. Tiyakin din natin na ang bawat sentimo na pinaghirapan ng ating mga kababayan ay gagamitin sa tama,” the President said.
The government stressed that strengthened education initiatives, including the expansion of the ARAL Program and improved career progression for teachers, will complement classroom construction.
Investing in the future of Filipino learners, the program released 9.6 billion pesos as an initial tranche to fund the construction of classrooms nationwide, including in the province. /PGMO
