Solving the woes of Philippine education through PPPs

A FILIPINO ADAGE dubs education as the greatest inheritance a parent can give to their child. Such is the importance of learning in the Philippines, where it is a right and where the government is mandated to ensure its accessibility and quality for all its citizens.

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However, recent controversies have left much to be desired in the sector. Data from the Philippine Statistics Authority in April showed that while over 90% of Filipinos can read and write, just 70% can comprehend what they read. Furthermore, the Department of Education's (DepEd) classroom backlog currently stands at an estimated 148,000, based on the latest data shared by the department. Further inflating the issue is the masses’ current public distrust of government institutions.

Given these challenges, exploring the role of public-private partnerships (PPPs) becomes all the more crucial in seeking ways to improve the current Philippine education system. DepEd Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara hinted at such solutions as the key to addressing the perennial problem of classroom backlogs.

“Ang tinutulak natin ngayon is mag-PPP tayo, public-private partnerships. Ibig sabihin, malakihan, bulto-bulto, 1,000 classrooms. Magpapa-bid tayo ng isang libong school buildings at i-o-offer natin sa private sector na magko-construct. (What we are pushing for now is to do public-private partnerships. This means large-scale, in bulk — 1,000 classrooms. We will [also] put 1,000 school buildings up for bidding and offer them to the private sector to construct),” Mr. Angara said in a statement.