DPWH built only 22 classrooms in 2025
MANILA, Philippines — With only two months left in 2025, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has only built 22 classrooms, worsening the already dire backlog in a country facing an educational crisis.
During the DPWH's budget hearing, Sen. Bam Aquino asked the agency how many classrooms had been built for 2025. Upon seeing the figure, Dizon himself was shocked.
“For 2025 po, ang—totoo ba ito? Ang baba nito—For 2025 po, out of 1,700 na dapat gawin, 22 palang ang completed,” Dizon replied as he read the number. (For 2025, the — is this real? It’s so low—For 2025, out of the 1,700 that needed to be done, only 22 have been completed.)
The DPWH chief said there are 882 that have not yet been started.
Dizon, who was sworn in as Public Works chief in September following the resignation of Manuel Bonoan, described the current rate as "deplorable."
Aquino added that flood control has been a top priority, with a third of the DPWH’s budget allocated to it.
“Ang estimated current classroom backlog natin ay 146,000. By 2028, if we continue at this rate, aabot tayo ng 200,000,” Aquino said.
(Our estimated current classroom backlog is 146,000. By 2028, if we continue at this rate, we will reach 200,000.)
Aquino also pointed out that the DPWH has priced its classrooms at around P3 million each. However, after consulting with experts, it was found that a high-quality classroom should only cost P2 million. The senator reminded the DPWH secretary that former officials implicated in the flood control mess had admitted to inflating project costs to pocket a portion of the funds.
Dizon said that the agency would determine the cause of the delay, whether it was due to funding or the process. He vowed to coordinate with Education Secretary Sonny Angara to explore how to fast-track the process.
The DPWH chief said that public-private partnerships could also be explored, an option that the Department of Education has already expressed interest in pursuing.
However, Dizon said it was unlikely that all the targeted classrooms would be completed within the remaining time in 2025.
Aquino said that there is currently a bill called the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program Act, which has been certified as urgent by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The bill proposes that funding for classroom construction be directly allocated to local government units, rather than the DPWH.
“We are in full support of this measure, especially now that only 22 classrooms have been made by the department. We really need help," Dizon said.
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