What was once a local solution to alleviate the issue of classroom shortages has now been adopted at the national level.
The Department of Education (DepEd) recently mirrored a tactic employed by some local government units in Laguna province as it launched its “Classroom Leasing Initiative” last Monday, February 9.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara himself led the launch of the initiative at the Don Manuel Rivera Memorial Integrated National High School (DMRMINHS) in Pila, Laguna.
The event saw the launch of a newly-rehabilitated building that serves to benefit the school’s 314 senior high school learners.
The move marked the first time DepEd formally operationalized classroom leasing as a national infrastructure strategy to ease space constraints in high-density areas.
It refurbished and repurposed the leased classrooms within a few months, demonstrating how existing but idle facilities can be quickly converted into functional learning spaces.
In a statement, Angara emphasized that the strategy of classroom leasing would complement long-term infrastructure programs, including traditional classroom building, public-private partnership projects, and other alternative delivery modalities.
“Hindi natin isinasantabi ang pagtatayo ng mga bagong silid-aralan. Tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang classroom construction sa buong bansa,” the education chief said.
“Habang ginagawa ito, kailangan din nating mag-isip ng mga praktikal at agarang solusyon gaya ng classroom leasing para hindi na maghintay ang mga bata at guro ng ilang taon bago magkaroon ng maayos na lugar para matuto,” he added.
The DepEd said leasing provides a cost-efficient option in areas where land acquisition is difficult or where immediate relief is needed to prevent learner displacement while larger projects are still in the pipeline.
It also plans to replicate the classroom leasing model in other high-need areas, particularly where local governments and private partners are willing to participate in shared solutions to address classroom congestion.
Similar tactics had been used by some local governments in Laguna province in the past to alleviate the issue of classroom shortage.
In Biñan City, for instance, the city government has repurposed at least two private schools that had been closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
One example is the former site of the AMA Computer College in Barangay Canlalay, which was purchased by the LGU and transformed into the Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP) Biñan College of Information Technology and Engineering Campus.
(Additional reports from the Philippine News Agency)
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