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Local government units around the country will do their best to uphold their newly-assigned duty to construct classrooms to address shortage. This was what Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines president and Quirino governor Dax Cua said after Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. ordered that funds be given directly to LGUs for classroom construction due to the Department of Public Works and Highways’ low completion rates. “This is a heavy responsibility, but as always, we LGUs will do our best, as we recognize the urgent need for classrooms to help address the ongoing and deepening educational crisis,” Cua said. The directive came on the heels of DPWH Sec. Vince Dizon’s admission before the Senate on Monday that the agency had so far completed only 22 out of the 1,700 classrooms targeted for construction this year. It was also announced that the Department of Education and DPWH are expected to sign with LGUs on this matter. Under the planned MOA, funds will be downloaded to LGUs to implement the construction of around 2,370 classrooms, with the DPWH and DepEd tasked with overseeing and monitoring progress. Around 7 percent or P63 billion of the proposed P912-billion budget of the DepEd for 2026 will be allotted for the Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEFF) to back the construction of classrooms. Cua thanked President Marcos for his confidence in LGUs’ capabilities. “We are heartened by this show of confidence, and I would like to assure the President that all qualified LGUs that will be allowed to construct classrooms will do everything to reaffirm that trust,” said Cua. He added that ULAP is closely working and coordinating with DepEd and the local leagues regarding the rollout of this significant program. ULAP will also discuss how other LGUs can be empowered so that they may also contribute to efforts to accelerate classroom construction. “Definitely we will deliberate on what forms of assistance we can provide to other LGUs who wish to upgrade their capability and capacity and help address our massive classroom shortage,” the governor said. ULAP is the umbrella organization of all leagues of local government units and local government officials in country, serving as the focal representative and mouthpiece of the subnational government in all policy and program platforms to amplify our unified advocacy towards the strengthening of LGUs into able partners in nation-building. Learn more at www.ulap.net.ph.
