DepEd eyes PPP to bridge classroom and digital gap

CEBU, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) looks into bridging classroom and digital gap through Private-Public Partnership.

“The classroom gap is a massive challenge, but we believe that leveraging private investments through PPPs is the most efficient and sustainable way to address this,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.

Angara presented the plan to President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. during a recent meeting in Malacañang, following the signing of the Technical Assistance Agreement with the PPP Center in December 2024.

As per DepEd’s record, there are 165 thousand classroom backlogs in the country with an initial target of 15 thousand by 2027 expected to be built.

Under the PPP School Infrastructure Project (PSIP 3), this will cost between P37.5 billion and P 60 billion and benefit over 600,000 students nationwide. Aside from that, this is also expected to generate at least 18,000 jobs.

DepEd has also laid out a roadmap for scaling up construction to 30,000 and 60,000 classrooms through PSIP 4 and 5.

DepEd is also spearheading efforts to equip public schools with power and digital tools through PPPs to improve learning outcomes.

Targeted for roll out on mid-2026, the plan for digitalization and solarization of schools includes providing electricity supply to un-energized schools, Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite internet connectivity for unconnected schools, and tablets for learners and laptops for teachers.

DepEd stressed that connectivity at this scale is expected to dramatically boost the effectiveness of teachers, while offering Filipino children a wealth of learning resources previously out of their reach.

“With a combination of strategic partnerships and digital investments, DepEd is committed to bridging both the classroom and digital divides to create a future-ready education system producing competitive and highly employable graduates,” Angara added. – /FPL (FREEMAN)