While it is good that lawmakers found a way to increase the proposed allocation for classroom construction and repair for 2026, it might be better to also consider cutting the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) project costs to address the country’s over 160,000 classroom gap.
In a privilege speech on Wednesday, Batangas 1st District Rep. Leandro Legarda Leviste reiterated his suggestions – to lower the DPWH’s Detailed Unit Price Analysis (DUPA) and to cut costs or outright cancel existing but unbidded or unimplemented projects – and save up to P400 billion. ‘The country lacks over over 165,000 classroom, according to DepEd. The good news is, today, the funding for 25,000 classrooms in 2026 was approved. The question, my dear colleagues is, how do we fund fund new classrooms in every school nationwide.’ Leviste said in Filipino.
‘The answer: We can save more if we reduce by 25 percent the cost pf DPWH projects. Current and planned DPWH projects cost P1.6 trillion. If we reduce the cost by 25 percent, we can save P400 billion, enough to build new classrooms in every school nationwide, without additional expenses, debts or taxes from the government,’ he added.
According to Leviste, there is a provision in the New Government Procurement Act that allows for the termination of contracts, due to the changes in government policy – just like what happened in his district in Batangas. ‘Para sa mahigit P1 trilyon na mga kasalukuyang proyekto ng DPWH, maaari pa itong kanselahin o i-reprice. Ang Government Procurement Reform Act ay may probisyon para sa Termination for Unlawful Acts at Termination for Convenience. Sa aking distrito sa Batangas, nakansela na ng DPWH ang isang flood control project sa ilalim ng Termination for Convenience ‘bunsod ng pagbabago sa polisiya ng pamahalaan sa pagpapatupad ng mga proyektong kaugnay sa flood control,’ nang walang multa sa gobyerno,’ he said.
‘For the current DPWH projects worth over P1 trillion, such can be cancelled or repriced. The Government Procurement Reform Act has a provision for Termination for Unlawful Acts and Termination for Convenience. In my district in Batangas, the DPWH cancelled one flood control project under the Termination for Convenience due to a change in government policy in implementing flood control projects,’ added Leviste.
Earlier, at the hearing of the Budget Amendments Review Sub-committee (BARSc), appropriations chairperson and Nueva Ecija 1st District Rep. Mikaela Suansing said they have found a way to increase the proposed budget under the Basic Education Facilities (BEF), from P22.5 billion to P35 billion.
The BEF includes allocation for the construction, completion, rehabilitation of classrooms, and the provision of furniture.
‘We have found the fiscal space to add more to the basic education facilities program, towards the new construction, completion, rehabilitation of classrooms. So if before what the BARSc approved is P22.5 billion, we are able to find the space to increase that to P35 billion, so that’s an additional P13 billion towards the creation of classrooms,’ Suansing said. ‘So just to clarify po, that’s in addition to what’s already there in the NEP for the BEF. So there is currently P28 billion in the NEP (National Expenditures Program) for BEF, so if we add the P35 billion, that will be P63 billion in total for classrooms,’ she added.