It is seen as one of the solutions to reduce the 165,000 shortage.
Recently, the Department of Education held a Classroom Market Scoping Activity, which aims to identify the capacity of the private sector, understand the market condition in terms of renting, and study partnership models that will make a potential classroom leasing program cost-efficient.
The said move aims to address the classroom shortage, which has reached a total count of 165,000 nationwide since 2022.
The said activity was spearheaded by the Office of the Undersecretary for Strategic Management (OUSM) and the Student First Coalition (SFC).
“Kailangan nating maging malikhain kung gusto nating bumilis ang ating solusyon,” said Education Secretary Sonny Angara. “Kung may mga paaralan at gusaling nakatengga at maaari namang magamit, buksan natin ito para sa mga kabataang nangangailangan ngayon.”
Presented during which were Standard Classroom Specifications ng DepEd, data on the need of classrooms, and other details of the Leasing Pilot Program.
Meanwhile, in attendance were representatives from Colliers, Santos Knight Frank, Leechiu, Jones Lang LaSalle Inc., Lobien Realty Group, at REBAP Inc., as well as the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Corps of Engineers (AFP-COE).
The information and ideas that were collected during the market scoping will serve as the standard that will be unveiled at the Classroom Summit, where DepEd will reveal reforms and new models on the construction of educational facilities around the country.
At present, one of the potential ideas being studied is the leasing of the Pita Property in Laguna, the former location of the Rainbow Institute of Learning, Inc., which has 7 classrooms, a canteen, office, covered court with stage.
The 1,385-square-meter campus have remained idle since 2020 and is located just 2 kilometers awat from the Don Manuel Rivera Memorial Integrated National High School, where there is a shortage of 22 classrooms.
According to Undersecretary for Strategic Management Ronald Mendoza, “Sa halip na maghintay ng dalawa o tatlong taon para maitayo ang mga bagong gusali, tinitingnan natin ang mga umiiral na estruktura na maaaring maiangkop sa loob lamang ng anim na buwan para sa ating mga mag-aaral.”