• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Bacolod City is among the 149 local government units (LGUs) nationwide to benefit from the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Nationwide Classroom Building Program.
Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya joined fellow mayors at the Ceremonial Hall of Malacañang Palace on February 23, to sign a memorandum of agreement with Education Secretary Juan Edgardo ‘Sony’ Angara that formalizes the partnership between the national government and LGUs.
Funding for the national program is secured under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, which allocates P85.39 billion for basic education facilities.
Under the agreement, the Presidential Communications Office said that LGUs will take the lead in procurement, construction, and project management to ensure faster, localized implementation.
Meanwhile, DepEd’s role is to establish technical standards and validate compliance before authorizing final turnover and payment.
The initiative is a direct response to a directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. aimed at resolving the country’s classroom shortage, currently estimated at 144,758 units as of January 2026.*
