The Philippines needs to build about 7,000 classrooms every year for the next 15 years to address shortages and prepare its education system for the future, according to the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS).
Speaking during a live podcast at Centro Escolar University titled “Classroom Shortages and Teacher Quality: Kaya Bang Mag-Level Up ng Polisiya?,” PIDS education experts called for long-term and systemic reforms to fix the decades-old classroom crisis. The podcast was hosted by Prof. Jose Cris Sotto.
“If education is something important to us, as a nation, we should be able to put our heads together to address this issue,” said Michael Ralph Abrigo, senior research fellow of PIDS and lead author of the study Low Fertility, Ageing Buildings, and School Congestion in the Philippines, commissioned by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).
The study noted that falling fertility rates and some targeted infrastructure projects have eased congestion nationwide. However, overcrowding remains a serious problem in Metro Manila, Calabarzon, Region 12, and BARMM.
In 2021, more than 90% of elementary students in Northern Manila were in classes with at least 50 pupils, while Southern and Eastern Manila posted 76.8 percent and 60.1 percent, respectively. Neighboring provinces, including Rizal and Cavite, also reported high levels of congestion.
Abrigo shared that school enrollment is projected to decline nationwide between 2040 and 2060 as fertility rates drop. Still, this trend is not the same everywhere, as regions such as BARMM continue to see growing school-age populations.
He stressed that infrastructure alone is not enough, urging reforms such as public-private partnerships, education vouchers, flexible class schedules, and shared use of underutilized classrooms.
“DepEd is not in the business of constructing buildings. Their mission is improving education, and classrooms are just one part of that,” he said.
Abrigo also called for stronger national support for underfunded local governments, streamlined construction procedures, and a regularly updated master plan that anticipates demand while addressing local challenges like disasters.
He said these changes are vital to ensure the country benefits from its “demographic dividend,” where a larger working-age population could lead to growth if the workforce is healthy and educated.
“There should be a very strategic project management. It’s not just about the budget per se,” Abrigo added.
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