Thirty fifth-class municipalities did not receive classroom allocations in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 despite a shortage of learning facilities, according to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).
“We commend DepEd’s extraordinary efforts in mobilizing different routes for classroom construction,” EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark R. Yee said in a statement on Tuesday.
“However, we also highlight the need for strategic and responsive allocations to ensure that these resources go where they are most needed,” he added.
The commission reported that only 45.2% of the 332 local government units (LGUs) with the largest estimated classroom shortages were among the top recipients of planned classroom allocations in FY 2026.
Of the allotted classrooms, 91% went to first-class municipalities, while only 55% were given to fifth-class municipalities.
The commission noted that classroom gaps across the 30 fifth-class municipalities totaled 356. Hadji Muhammad in Basilan had the highest deficit at 59, followed by Lumbaca-Unayan in Lanao del Sur at 41, and Sugbongcogon in Misamis Oriental at 37.
Turtle Islands in Tawi-Tawi and Sultan Dumalondong in Lanao del Sur also lack 34 and 29 classrooms, respectively.
Other areas with no classroom allocations include Sadanga in Mountain Province, Tagapul-An in Samar, Bunangan in Misamis Oriental, Biri in Northern Samar, and Mercedes in Eastern Samar.
The country currently faces a backlog of 143,543 classrooms as of June 2026, worsened by natural calamities and aging facilities, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).
EDCOM 2 said that 68,147 additional classrooms nationwide are needed to address congestion in 4,492 schools with more than 50 learners per classroom.
Separately, 52,871 classrooms are needed to eliminate double and triple shifting in 1,889 schools. Another 6,808 are needed in 2,677 schools that rely heavily on makeshift classrooms, based on SY 2024–2025 and SY 2023–2024 data, respectively.
The National Expenditure Program for FY 2027 proposed P30.55 billion for classroom construction.
The Department of Education (DepEd) has requested an additional P23.5 billion to construct 2,385 new classrooms, 69 Last Mile School buildings, and 500 Learning Continuity Spaces, as well as repair 3,500 classrooms, among others. — Almira Louise S. Martinez