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The Department of Education (DepEd) launches the first Classroom Leasing Initiative at a leased school facility in Barangay Pulilan Sur, Pila, Laguna on Monday (Feb. 9, 2026). The facility is currently serving as an annex of Don Manuel Rivera Memorial Integrated National High School, allowing senior high school learners to attend classes in a nearby site. Photo courtesy of DepEd.
The Department of Education (DepEd) launched a classroom leasing initiative in Pila, Laguna, to address classroom shortages by using idle private school facilities, Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara said on Monday, Feb. 9, 2026.
The program aims to reduce overcrowding in public schools by leasing underutilized private school buildings and converting them into temporary learning spaces for students.
DepEd officials said the initiative forms part of the agency’s long-term efforts to address the nationwide shortage of classrooms, which has resulted in congested learning environments and shifting class schedules.
“Hindi natin isinasantabi ang pagtatayo ng mga bagong silid-aralan. Tuloy-tuloy pa rin ang classroom construction sa buong bansa (We are not setting aside the constructions of classrooms. It’s continuous nationwide),” Angara said in a statement.
“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 (While we are doing this, we need to think of practical and immediate solutions like classroom leasing so that learners and teachers wouldn’t have to wait years just to have a proper learning space),” he added.
He said the program will support ongoing infrastructure efforts, including classroom construction, public-private partnerships, and alternative learning delivery programs.
Angara added that the initiative aims to address urgent classroom shortages that have forced schools to implement shifting schedules, shorten class hours, and strain teaching resources, especially in fast-growing provinces and urbanizing areas.
DepEd said it plans to expand the classroom leasing model to other high-need locations, particularly in areas where local governments and private partners are willing to cooperate in easing classroom congestion.
The program is part of the Marcos administration’s broader effort to reduce the country’s classroom backlog through faster construction, stronger partnerships with local governments and the private sector, and short-term measures to improve learning conditions and protect instructional time.