The Big Shortage: Cebu's Missing 3,000 Classrooms
School lacks 3000 classrooms
It's a grim start for the upcoming school year in Cebu, as several thousand classrooms are still missing. On a news forum back on Tuesday, May 3, 2025, Department of Education (DepEd) 7 Director Dr. Salustiano Jimenez sheds light on the region's dire need for over 3,000 makeshift classrooms.
Jimenez hints that Cebu might have the highest requirement in the entire region, making it crucial for the education system to bridge this gap.
Blame it on the natural calamities and the pandemic, the infrastructure crisis has grown roots. Recent catastrophes like Typhoon Odette and the lack of suitable facilities to adhere to social distancing have escalated the issue. And let's not forget that COVID-19 has dented the funds meant for building new structures.
Jimenez petitioned Education Secretary Sonny Angara to escalate this issue, emphasizing the priority of fixing damaged facilities and restoring shattered classrooms. Angara acted swiftly, focusing on addressing the damaged classrooms and reaching out to local government units (LGUs) to secure donations and support.
However, with the school year looming, Jimenez visited various division offices to address the problems head-on. These discussions spanned with LGUs and other stakeholders, drawing attention to the infrastructure crisis and urging organizations to help bring forth lasting solutions.
This crisis has forced some class schedules into a chaotic dance. Students find themselves juggling different schedules from day to night, squeezing into whatever makeshift classrooms that made it through the calamities.
Jimenez hopes that the necessary improvements for the 2025 school year are already underway, with the Brigada Eskwela set to kickstart on Monday, May 9. Teacher training for the updated curriculum has already commenced, with a week designated for the proceedings.
The pilot implementation of the senior high school (SHS) curriculum will commence in 56 public and private schools across Central Visayas, including Negros Oriental and Siquijor. This new SHS curriculum is set to launch in selected schools starting from School Year 2025-2026, running from May 16, 2025, to March 31, 2026.
But it doesn't stop there. The entire region has been grappling with these shortages, with classrooms, teachers, and infrastructure being the most pressing issues. DepEd aims to tackle these complaints through Public-Private Partnerships and collaborating closely with LGUs. Ultimately, the nation aims to address the classroom backlogs, with an estimated need of PHP 105 billion per year to meet the target by 2030. However, timelines for the specific initiatives in Cebu remain unclear.
But hey, it's not all doom and gloom. DepEd-7 is taking tackling the teacher shortage into its own hands, with measures to ensure the schools can make do with the current resources. This includes assessing ideal student-teacher ratios and coordinating with stakeholders to address these gaps.
[1] Inquirer News[2] Rappler[3] DepEd Circular[4] The Freeman[5] SunStar Cebu
In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and previous natural calamities, the government must prioritize addressing the education-and-self-development crisis in Cebu, with a pressing need for 3,000 classrooms to enable learning opportunities for the upcoming school year. Education Secretary Sonny Angara is focused on addressing the damaged classrooms, reaching out to local government units for support, and collaborating with DepEd to secure donations and implement solutions.
