Bridging classroom, connectivity gaps in PH basic education

A recent Manila Bulletin news story highlighted a persistent and troubling reality: The Philippines continues to grapple with an alarming shortage of classrooms and a deepening digital divide. These twin crises are more than logistical headaches. They threaten to derail the country’s aspirations to attain inclusive and equitable education.

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Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara has formally launched a Five Point Reform Agenda to address entrenched challenges in the education system. At its core, this blueprint targets: 1) Improving school infrastructure, 2) Enhancing teacher training, 3) Updating curricula, 4) Strengthening leadership, and 5) Ensuring accessibility for all learners. The sharp contrast between policy and reality is stark. Classroom backlogs are estimated at 165,000, a gap so wide that conventional construction at the current pace would take decades to fill.

Angara’s infrastructure push, especially the ambition to build the classrooms via public—private partnerships and to deploy disaster ready modular units, seeks to put in place vital reforms. The effectiveness of this hinges on swift, transparent execution. The sheer scale of the backlog demands urgency and robust oversight.