ACT Philippines Urges 50,000 Annual Classroom Builds as Backlog Persists at 166,000
Key Takeaways
- •EDCOM 2 confirmed the national classroom backlog at 166,000 units, contradicting DepEd's reported figure of 144,000.
- •The classroom shortage could expand to 219,000 by 2028 as more than 51,000 classrooms face condemnation and 70% of public school buildings require major repairs or retrofitting.
- •The government constructed only 19,250 classrooms between July 2022 and August 2025, and has committed to building just 40,000 classrooms by 2028.
- •Natural disasters including a 7.8-magnitude earthquake in Sarangani and damage in Cebu have together affected over 22,000 classrooms, worsening the infrastructure deficit.
- •Under the 2026 national budget, DepEd allocated P65 billion for approximately 25,000 new classrooms and P7.7 billion for repairing and rehabilitating existing school buildings.
The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines is calling for the construction of at least 50,000 classrooms annually to address a persistent nationwide shortage that independent data places at 166,000 units.
ACT Chairperson Ruby Bernardo, in a Facebook message to BusinessWorld, emphasized the urgency of large-scale construction. "For us, at least 50,000 classrooms must be built if we are to address the current shortage of 166,000 classrooms," she said in Filipino. "Building these classrooms is the key to addressing classroom overcrowding, which is one of the reasons children are unable to learn effectively."
The Philippines has one of the largest basic education systems in Southeast Asia, serving more than 20 million enrollees across tens of thousands of public schools. Classroom shortages have been a decades-long structural challenge, intensified by population growth and the expansion of the K–12 curriculum.
According to ACT, the government built only 19,250 classrooms between July 2022 and August 2025, and has committed to constructing just 40,000 classrooms by 2028.
Bernardo criticized the Marcos Jr. administration's budget priorities, stating: "For four years, President Marcos Jr. allocated only a meager amount for the construction of new classrooms compared with the funding poured into flood control projects." She added: "His claim that the administration is aggressively fixing and improving the education system, and that education is among its highest priorities, is nothing but a lie."
Data from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) confirmed that the classroom backlog remains at 166,000, contradicting an earlier Department of Education (DepEd) report that the figure had declined to 144,000. The discrepancy underscores longstanding concerns about data transparency in tracking education infrastructure progress.
EDCOM 2 warned that the gap could widen to 219,000 by 2028. More than 51,000 classrooms are expected to be condemned due to age, while 70% of public school buildings require major repairs, retrofitting, or condemnation.
Natural disasters compound the problem. EDCOM 2 cited 10,000 classrooms damaged in Cebu in October of last year, as well as the 7.8-magnitude Sarangani earthquake on June 8, which damaged 12,493 classrooms across five regions and 39 school divisions.
Under the 2026 national budget, DepEd has allocated P65 billion for the construction of 24,964 classrooms, with an additional P7.7 billion earmarked for the repair and rehabilitation of existing school buildings.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has committed to building over 5,000 classrooms this year. As of July 15, the agency reported 2,100 classrooms completed, with another 2,900 still under construction.
— Almira Louise S. Martinez