MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos has approved a P105.7-billion public-private partnership (PPP) scheme to address the country's shortage of 165,000 classrooms, according to Education Secretary Sonny Angara. The program aims to expedite the construction of classrooms and improve the management of school infrastructure.
According to Angara, the Economic Development Council, chaired by the President, has approved the Phase 3 of the Public-Private Partnership for School Infrastructure Project (PSIP). This is part of broader reforms for the fast and efficient construction of classrooms. Nearly 800,000 learners per year will benefit while reducing congestion in more than 1,000 public schools nationwide.
PSIP 3 will construct and maintain 16,459 classrooms in 1,095 schools in Regions 1, 2, 3, 4-A, 4-B, NCR, and CAR. It focuses on congested urban schools, while there is a separate project for last-mile schools. The program also targets to reduce the average class size from 50 learners to 39, which will contribute to a safer and more orderly learning environment.
In addition, 57,000 jobs are expected to be created, and the government will save P40.15 billion. Projects are also being accelerated under the President's “green lane” PPP directive, with support from the economic team, PPP Center, and Asian Development Bank. Construction is targeted to begin in March 2027 and be completed within 19 months, or March 2028.
Meanwhile, private education stakeholders maintained the transparency and accountability of the Senior High School (SHS) Voucher Program, which supports 1.24 million learners in 4,338 private senior high schools. They reaffirmed their commitment to the proper use of public funds, despite the COA's reports of "ghost students." According to them, the program is important for access to quality senior high school education for eligible learners.