THE proposed 2026 national budget is set to speed up classroom construction to address the shortage in basic education facilities, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said Friday.

As chair of the Senate committee on finance, Gatchalian said the budget gives the Department of Education (DepEd) greater flexibility in building classrooms, including the use of public-private partnerships.

“Hindi lamang tayo naglaan ng mas malaking pondo para sa pagpapatayo ng mga classrooms. Tiniyak din nating mapapabilis ito sa pamamagitan ng aktibong pakikilahok ng iba’t ibang sektor,” he said.

Under the proposed budget, P85 billion is allocated for the construction and rehabilitation of classrooms. Of this, P65.9 billion is set for building, replacing, and completing kindergarten to secondary school facilities, including technical-vocational laboratories.

DepEd may also partner with the Department of Public Works and Highways, select local government units, civil society and non-government organizations, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Corps of Engineers to allow simultaneous classroom construction nationwide.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara earlier said the 2026 budget was crafted to ensure measurable improvements in student learning outcomes.

The proposed P6.79-trillion national budget keeps education as the government’s top spending priority and is now under final review by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ahead of its expected signing.

The Second Congressional Commission on Education earlier reported a nationwide shortage of 165,000 classrooms, forcing some kindergartners to attend classes at dawn or miss school entirely.