Wazzup Pilipinas!?
PILA, LAGUNA, 9 February 2025 — The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday rolled out its Classroom Leasing Initiative, a stopgap measure developed with local governments and private sector partners to immediately decongest overcrowded public schools while permanent classroom construction is ongoing.
In line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., Education Secretary Sonny Angara led the launch of the initiative in Pila, Laguna, marking the first time DepEd formally operationalized classroom leasing as a national infrastructure strategy to ease space constraints in high-density areas.
The leased facility is now serving as an annex of Don Manuel Rivera Memorial Integrated National High School, allowing Senior High School learners to transfer to a nearby site, easing congestion and allowing more comfortable learning conditions.
“Hindi natin isinasantabi ang pagtatayo ng mga bagong silid-aralan. Tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang classroom construction sa buong bansa. Pero habang ginagawa ito, kailangan din nating mag-isip ng mga praktikal at agarang solusyon gaya ng classroom leasing para hindi na maghintay ang mga bata at guro ng ilang taon bago magkaroon ng maayos na lugar para matuto,” Angara said.
He also stressed that it would complement long-term infrastructure programs, including traditional classroom building, public-private partnership projects, and other alternative delivery modalities.
Angara noted that the approach is meant to respond to urgent classroom shortages that force schools to adopt shifting schedules, reduce instructional time, and stretch teaching resources, particularly in rapidly growing provinces and urbanizing municipalities.
Laguna, which ranks among the third most congested provinces nationwide, was identified as an initial pilot area due to its large enrollment base and limited expansion space in several public schools.
DepEd refurbished and repurposed the leased classrooms within a few months, demonstrating how existing but idle facilities, including former private schools that closed during the pandemic, can be quickly converted into functional learning spaces.
The Department added that leasing provides a cost-efficient option in areas where land acquisition is difficult or where immediate relief is needed to prevent learner displacement while larger projects are still in the pipeline.
Local officials in Pila welcomed the initiative, noting that national-local collaboration helped fast-track site identification, coordination with property owners, and the delivery of basic requirements needed to open the facility.
DepEd said it plans to replicate the classroom leasing model in other high-need areas, particularly where local governments and private partners are willing to participate in shared solutions to address classroom congestion.
The initiative forms part of the Marcos administration’s broader push to close the country’s classroom gap through a mix of accelerated construction, partnerships with LGUs and the private sector, and flexible, time-bound interventions aimed at protecting instructional time and improving learning conditions.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
.jpg)
