DepEd taps LGUs to bridge 165,000 classroom gap; eyes faster, flexible builds

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

PASAY CITY, 10 March 2026 — Education Secretary Sonny Angara rallied over 1,300 municipal mayors to address the persistent classroom crisis, unveiling a multi-channel roadmap to bridge the nationwide 165,000-classroom deficit.

Emphasizing that traditional procurement alone is insufficient, Secretary Angara detailed a strategic roadmap designed for faster, more flexible and more transparent school buildings construction.

"We are no longer content with the old system. We are changing the way we deliver to make it faster, more efficient, more effective, and more transparent,” Angara said during the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP) General Assembly 2026 on Monday.

"Education is a shared responsibility, and our LGUs are the best-positioned partners to ensure these funds are translated into actual, usable classrooms for our learners.”

The plan includes the delivery of 30,000 classrooms through 2028 through conventional procurement, and 16,000 classrooms in high-congestion areas through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) under the recently approved PPP for School Infrastructure Project Phase III (PSIP III).

To reduce campus congestion, Angara said DepEd is exploring the expansion of vouchers to primary education and piloting a "4+1" blended learning model—four days onsite and one day online.

The Department is also looking to lease or acquire foreclosed private properties for the immediate use of about 1,000 classrooms, and mobilize private sector donations for 2,000 learning spaces.

Angara highlighted that under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, local government units (LGUs) are now empowered as primary implementers for school building projects alongside the Department of Public Works and Highways and the AFP Corps of Engineers, allowing mayors to identify specific sites for repair or new construction.

Angara promoted the use of pre-fabricated Learning Continuity Spaces (LCS), a cost- and time-efficient solution already piloted in Masbate and Davao del Norte, saying 2,571 units are slated for installation across 1,017 municipalities this year.

DepEd also encouraged municipalities to pool Special Education Funds (SEF) to finance large-scale programs like central kitchens for school-based feeding.

“We are not just sharing resources, we are actualizing President Bongbong Marcos Jr.’s vision to modernize our classrooms through the kind of innovative funding that ensures no student is left behind by a lack of local budget,” Angara said.

Angara led the ceremonial signing of a Memoranda of Understanding (MOU) between the DepEd and the LMP to formalize the nationwide classroom building acceleration.

DepEd has previously signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with provincial governors and city mayors to implement the special provisions of the GAA on school buildings construction.

Angara urged mayors to coordinate with provincial governors to tap into these new flexible construction provisions, enabling faster and more efficient delivery of much-needed classrooms. 

The Stage is Set for Resistance: PETA Unveils "Control + Shift: StudioLab 2026

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

For decades, the Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA) has served as the heartbeat of People’s Theater, transforming the stage into a mirror for the Filipino soul. This April, that pulse quickens. From April 10 to 19, 2026, the PETA Studio Theater becomes a site of radical reimagining with the return of Control + Shift: Changing Narratives StudioLab.

Building on the momentum of its 2024 debut and 2025 festival, this year’s StudioLab is a "Brave Exploration on Narrative Change". It is a creative sanctuary where artists and community partners confront the "tough questions of our time," crafting stories that hold space for healing while envisioning more humane, democratic futures.

The 2026 showcase is divided into two powerhouse sets, each exploring the thin line between survival and systemic change.

Set A: When Power Falls into our Hands

This set dissects the gravity of choice in the face of normalized corruption and violence. When the system demands compliance, who among us will dare to interrupt it? 

CLEANERS: Written by Jhudiel Clare Sosa and directed by Julio Garcia, this play follows senior high students who realize their graduation requires more than just tidying classrooms. It is a tense exploration of what happens when the weight of truth lands in young hands.

MONIT-OH! MONIT-AH! (Restaging): Playwright Herlyn Alegre and director Norbs Portales return with a sharp forum theatre piece. Through Jaylord, a rookie waiter, audiences witness how a simple Christmas gift exchange can unmask the rot of the palakasan system.

Set B: When Care Becomes Survival

In landscapes scarred by war and disaster, care is no longer a luxury—it is an act of collective endurance and faith.

BAGA NG GUMUGUHONG LANGIT: Under the direction of Ian Segarra and written by Anj Heruela, this haunting work depicts orphaned children fighting for survival amidst the chaos of war, pleading for care from a world that has largely forgotten them.

AT NAGKATAWANG-TAO ANG VERBO (Restaging): Presented by Tanghalang Bagong Sibol, this play by Mikaela Regis and director Anthony Cruz breathes life into religious icons. In an urban fishing community along Ilog Tullahan, biblical imagery becomes a reflection of the daily struggle for dignity and hope.

Plan Your Visit: Show Dates and Tickets

Tickets are available now for Php 700 per set via Ticket2Me or at bit.ly/CS2026Tickets.

Set Dates & Times

Set A

April 10 (2 PM & 7 PM), April 12 (2 PM), April 18 (7 PM), April 19 (7 PM) 

Set B

April 11 (2 PM & 7 PM), April 12 (7 PM), April 18 (2 PM), April 19 (2 PM) 

Location: PETA Studio Theater, Quezon City, Philippines.

Be part of the shift. Follow @petatheater on social media for more updates as PETA continues to reclaim the Filipino narrative, one story at a time.

The Great Pump Heist: Why Your Fuel Tank is a One-Way Street for Profit

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

The liquid sloshing into your tank right now isn’t "new." It wasn’t refined this morning, and it didn't just arrive on a tanker from the Middle East. That gas was bought weeks ago, locked into a price point far lower than the digits currently spinning on the pump’s display. The oil companies have already paid for it. Yet, you are paying for it as if they bought it at peak market rates this afternoon.

Welcome to the world of Replacement Cost Accounting—the industry’s favorite shield, and the consumer’s greatest invisible tax.

The "Replacement" Illusion

In any standard business, the Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) is based on actual cost. If you buy a loaf of bread for 40 pesos and sell it for 50, you’ve made your margin. But Philippine oil companies operate on a different plane of logic. They don’t charge you based on what they spent; they charge you based on what it might cost them to buy that same liter of gas tomorrow.

By using the Mean of Platts Singapore (MOPS) benchmark—the spot oil market that dictates prices every Tuesday—companies justify today’s price hikes by pointing at global volatility. They claim they must collect the "replacement cost" now to afford the next shipment. It sounds like prudent bookkeeping—until you look at the predatory timing:

High Inventory, Low Price: Naturally, companies stock up when global prices are low.

The Surge: When prices spike, they have a massive volume of "cheap" oil sitting in tanks.

The Windfall: By applying replacement cost accounting during a surge, they reap massive profits on inventory they already own at a fraction of the cost.

Rockets and Feathers: The Asymmetry of Greed

The "Replacement Cost" system would be fair if it swung both ways. It doesn't. Instead, we are trapped in a phenomenon known as "Rockets and Feathers."

The Rocket: When global tensions flare in the Middle East and crude prices spike, the reaction at the local pump is instantaneous. Every Tuesday, as the MOPS benchmark shifts, the industry moves with Olympic speed to capture the upside. Last night, as prices shot up, thousands of Filipinos lined up at stations to beat the hike—a clear sign of a public under siege.

The Feather: When global prices fall, the logic shifts. Suddenly, "inventory cycles" and "logistics lags" become the excuse. Consumers don't rush to fill up before a price drop; they wait. But the oil companies ensure they have low inventory when prices hit the floor, minimizing their "losses" while maximizing their gains on the way up.

Deregulation as a Weapon

We were told that the Downstream Oil Deregulation Act would foster a battlefield of competition. Instead, it has created an oligopoly where we are nothing more than "price takers." These brokers and major players control everything from the market exchanges to the landed cost of refined petroleum.

This isn't a free market working as intended; it is a system weaponized to ensure that no matter which way the global wind blows, the house always wins. Basic needs—especially those that drive the entire economy like fuel—should be regulated with the same strictness as basic commodities.

Powerless in the Face of Incompetence

The reality is grim: a combination of government incompetency and a lack of strict monitoring has left the Filipino people at the mercy of global wars and corporate boardrooms. Without strong-willed leaders who refuse to be bought, the "replacement cost" remains a one-way street.

Every time you watch those numbers climb, remember: you aren't just paying for fuel. You are paying for the industry’s "what-ifs," subsidized by the gas they bought at yesterday's prices. It is a masterclass in risk-shifting, where the companies take the profit and the public takes the hit.