Photos from DepEd Philippines
Makati City- The Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) gathered the country’s leading business executives, senior government officials, and civil society leaders for an exclusive Leadership Forum aimed at strengthening cross-sector collaboration in education. The invitation-only event underscored the urgency of aligning policy, financing, and private sector engagement to build a more responsive and future-ready Philippine education system.
The strategic dialogue featured insights from Sonny Angara, Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd), alongside DepEd Undersecretary Ron Mendoza, Department of Finance Undersecretary Catherine Fong, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development Undersecretary Rizza Blanco-Latorre, and Rafael Lopa, President of ASA Philippines Foundation. Discussions centered on literacy recovery, infrastructure expansion through public–private partnerships (PPPs), and the integration of education technology as key drivers of workforce readiness and national resilience.
Bridging the Classroom Gap
A major highlight of the forum was DepEd’s roadmap to address the country’s classroom shortage. Current estimates place the classroom deficit at 165,443, prompting a multi-pronged strategy combining infrastructure financing, procurement reform, and alternative delivery models.
Under the Public School Infrastructure Program (PSIP) phases 3, 4, and 5 (2026–2031), government aims to deliver approximately 106,000 classrooms. An additional 30,000 classrooms are targeted through conventional procurement between 2026 and 2028. Complementary measures include 2,000 classrooms through donations (2025–2028) and 1,000 classrooms via leasing or acquisition arrangements. Further support through blended learning expansion and teacher deployment strategies remains under detailed planning.
The PPP approach is central to the strategy. PSIP3 will focus on Regions 1, 2, 3, 4A, 4B, 5, CAR, and NCR, targeting 16,000 classrooms. PSIP4 will prioritize Regions 6, 7, NIR, 8, and selected Luzon areas, with 40,000 classrooms programmed. PSIP5 will cover Regions 9, 10, 11, 12, CARAGA, BARMM, and other areas not included in earlier phases, targeting 50,000 classrooms. Complementing physical infrastructure, PSIP Connect will address devices, internet connectivity, and reliable power supply for public schools nationwide—recognizing that digital readiness is now inseparable from educational access.
Literacy, Technology, and Workforce Readiness
Beyond infrastructure, the forum emphasized literacy as foundational to long-term economic growth. Strengthening early grade reading and numeracy, coupled with expanded digital tools, was framed not merely as social policy but as economic strategy. By integrating education technology and improving connectivity, the government aims to narrow digital divides while preparing learners for emerging industries and evolving labor markets.
Business leaders affirmed their commitment to support reforms through investment, innovation, and partnership. The dialogue reinforced a shared understanding that educational transformation requires coordinated action across sectors—where government provides policy direction and enabling frameworks, and industry contributes efficiency, capital, and technical expertise.
CEAP’s Participation
The Catholic education sector was represented by Mr. Narcy Ador Dionisio, Executive Director of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP), and Fr. Glenn William Relucio, CEAP-NCR Trustee. Their presence highlighted the continued importance of complementarity between public and private education institutions in addressing national learning and infrastructure challenges.
As the country moves deeper into education reform, the 2026 PBEd Leadership Forum underscored a central message: bridging the classroom and digital gaps is not solely a government responsibility but a national undertaking. Through sustained collaboration among state agencies, business leaders, and education stakeholders, the Philippines can accelerate the development of a future-ready workforce and strengthen its capacity for inclusive and resilient growth.