HOUSE Deputy Minority Leader and Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Representative Leila M. de Lima has filed a bill that seeks to institutionalize stronger collaboration between Local Government Units (LGUs) and the private sector in building classrooms for public schools.
Under House Bill No. 5751 or the “Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act”, which fully adopts Senate Bill No. 121 filed by Senator Bam Aquino this 20th Congress, a Classroom-Building Acceleration Program will be established to efficiently address the perennial nationwide classroom backlog.
“Clearly, there is a need to take a whole-of-nation approach to come up with an innovative, progressive, and comprehensive solution to the classroom backlog that remains a primary contributor to the country’s education crisis,” De Lima said.
“Nakapanlulumo at nakakagalit ang usad-pagong na pagtatayo ng mga silid-aralan sa buong bansa, habang napakarami nating mga mag-aaral ang nagsisiksikan, nagtitiis at shifting pa sa mga sira-sira o make-shift classroom, o tinuturuan pa sa ilalim ng puno. Nasaan ang hustisya? Hanggang kailangan magdudusa sa ganitong sistema ang mga bata?”
“We are one with Senator Bam Aquino in pushing for this bill and calling on the President to certify this measure as urgent,” De Lima added.
Through this measure, capacity building and technical assistance shall be provided by the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to empower LGUs and the private sector to participate in the construction of classrooms in public schools in their own localities and communities.
Reportedly, DepEd Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said that the country is facing a massive 165,000 classroom backlog crisis and it may take about 55 years to resolve if the government sticks to its current pace of construction.
Furthermore, during a Senate inquiry on October 20, 2025, DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon admitted that only 22 classrooms out of the 1,700 targeted for 2025 had been constructed.
“De-kalidad na edukasyon ang dapat nating ipagkaloob sa ating mga mag-aaral at dapat na ipamana sa susunod pang mga henerasyon, hindi kulang-kulang at substandard na mga silid-aralan na dulot ng burukrasya at korupsyon,” De Lima stressed.
“The worsening education crisis in the country exacerbated by the reality of classroom shortage and corruption in government infrastructure projects demands swift and decisive action from all government agencies and all sectors in society. Hindi pwedeng magpatumpik-tumpik at babagal-bagal ang gobyerno sa pagtugon na malalang problemang ito sa ating bansa,” De Lima added
About the Author
