DPWH says only 22 classrooms built in 2025 so far
Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon revealed that only 22 classrooms have been built by the agency in 2025.
Dizon was asked about the DPWH's progress on the matter during the Senate budget hearing on Oct. 20.
"For 2025 po, out of 1,700 na dapat gawin, 22 pa lang po ang completed at 882 po ang ongoing," he said, as he was reminded by Sen. Bam Aquino that it was already October. "At meron pong 882 na not even started."
"It's a very deplorable rate of only 15.43%."
Dizon took over as DPWH Secretary in September following the resignation of Manuel Bonoan amid the probe into flood control projects by the agency.
Aquino noted that the DPWH prioritized flood control projects in the past year, with a third of its budget going to the said projects. He added that the low classroom construction rate was inexplicable.
"Even just saying it, sumasakit 'yung puso ko na 22 lang ang nagawang classroom," the senator said, adding that there is a current classroom backlog of 146,000.
Aquino, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, added that if the DPWH would continue at its rate, the backlogs could reach 200,000 classrooms by 2028.
Dizon said that he will look for ways to fast-track the construction while also looking into the cause of the delay.
He also expressed support for the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program bill, which has been certified as urgent by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The measure would enable capable local government units and the private sector to actively participate in constructing classrooms in public schools.
The DPWH is seeking P625.8 billion for 2026. Initially, it sought P881 billion but P252.53 was slashed after Marcos said that there will be no allocation for flood control projects in the next year.
After consultation with senators, Senate Committee on Finance chairperson Sen. Win Gatchalian defered the DPWH's budget approval.
"We'll use that opportunity to clean up 'yung errata o resubmission ng DPWH, particularly 'yung red flags," he said.
Gatchalian later told reporters that P348 billion could still be removed from the 2026 DPWH budget. "Kasi 'yung red flags is already P271 [billion] tapos yung overpricing na 20% across the board that's another P70 [billion]," he said, adding that this is just an estimate.