You plan to move to the Philippines? Wollen Sie auf den Philippinen leben?

There are REALLY TONS of websites telling us how, why, maybe why not and when you'll be able to move to the Philippines. I only love to tell and explain some things "between the lines". Enjoy reading, be informed, have fun and be entertained too!

Ja, es gibt tonnenweise Webseiten, die Ihnen sagen wie, warum, vielleicht warum nicht und wann Sie am besten auf die Philippinen auswandern könnten. Ich möchte Ihnen in Zukunft "zwischen den Zeilen" einige zusätzlichen Dinge berichten und erzählen. Viel Spass beim Lesen und Gute Unterhaltung!


Visitors of germanexpatinthephilippines/Besucher dieser Webseite.Ich liebe meine Flaggensammlung!

free counters

Total Pageviews

2,392,382

Thursday, May 29, 2025

The classroom shortage needs a nation's effort


 

The problem of a shortage in classrooms has been around too long. Every school opening, we read about that and we see photos of overcrowded classrooms and campus open spaces converted into makeshift learning areas.


This week, the gravity of the crisis was laid bare by Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara: The country is short by 165,443 classrooms — and at current budget levels, it would take the Philippines 30 years to close that gap.


The implications are staggering. For every year this backlog persists, millions of Filipino children are denied quality learning environments. Many of them study in cramped, hot rooms or outdoors under temporary structures. In some places, children do not go to school every day because of the absence of classrooms. This isn’t just an infrastructure problem — it’s a learning and national development crisis.


ADVERTISEMENT



With a reduced budget in 2025, the department is left to do more with less, even as the number of students continues to grow. At a time when other countries are investing heavily in education to build globally competitive workforces, the Philippines continues to face a basic education problem – lack of classrooms.


With these limitations, the DepEd has pursued public-private partnerships (PPPs) to speed up the construction of additional classrooms.


The initial goal is to build 15,000 classrooms by 2027. That’s just a fraction of the total need—but it’s a start.


The private sector has long been a sleeping giant in national development. Many private companies have donated school buildings and classrooms as their corporate social responsibility program.


ADVERTISEMENT



President Marcos has expressed support for PPPs to accelerate classroom construction, particularly in underserved regions. That endorsement must translate into more enabling policies, streamlined regulations, and incentives for private players to participate more deeply in education infrastructure.


An initiative to gather more private sector support was launched recently as Generation HOPE, a collaboration between DepEd, social enterprise HOPE, and a coalition of well-known brands. This partnership empowers consumers to directly contribute to classroom construction every time they make a purchase of participating products.


During the launch of Generation HOPE, Angara emphasized the importance of collaboration in addressing the classroom crisis.


“Education is not just a duty — it’s a solemn responsibility we all share,” he said.


By enabling the public to take part in funding education through daily consumption, DepEd is helping Filipinos translate their goodwill into real-world impact. Angara said, this initiative is not just about funding classrooms; it’s about “nation-building.” And in the absence of sufficient government funding, such grassroots, consumer-driven support could be a game-changer.


This model of citizen-powered development is not new, but its application to education in such a systematic way is bold and commendable. It reflects a growing recognition that education is not solely the government’s responsibility — it’s everyone’s.


The learning crisis brought on by the classroom shortage is not insurmountable — but it demands urgency, creativity, and unity. DepEd’s openness to partnerships, and the people’s willingness to engage, show that there is hope.


This is the moment for Filipinos — government, business, and everyday citizens — to come together for education. Every classroom built today is an investment in the dreams of tomorrow.

No comments: