By CESAR JOLITO III
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and other local officials have welcomed President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr.’s directive authorizing local government units (LGUs) to take charge of constructing school buildings — a move aimed at cutting red tape and addressing classroom shortages nationwide.
Lacson said he supports Marcos’ initiative, noting that LGUs have the capacity to implement infrastructure projects such as classroom construction and road concreting, provided that funding support is properly aligned.
“School buildings, together with road concreting, are projects LGUs can undertake. Funds for these projects should be downloaded from the Department of Public Works and Highways [DPWH] budget for school building and road concreting projects,” Lacson said.
The governor’s statement came after President Marcos, in a speech in Butuan City, announced plans to revise the existing system where the Department of Education (DepEd) channels school-building funds through the DPWH — a process often criticized for bureaucratic delays.
Under the new setup, Marcos said LGUs with sufficient capacity will receive funds directly to speed up implementation.
“From now on, all LGUs that have the capacity will receive the funds directly. You will be the ones to build your schools,” the President said, emphasizing his trust in local executives’ ability to deliver.
Negros mayors align on implementation
Cadiz City Mayor Salvador Escalante Jr., president of the Negros Association of Chief Executives (Negros ACE), said the group already discussed the President’s order during its October 10 meeting.
He added that the League of Cities of the Philippines has included the matter in the agenda for its upcoming 4th quarter general assembly in mid-November.
“The league will work with the Office of the President, the Department of Budget and Management and the DPWH to clarify and come up with defined parameters on how to go about the implementation of the directive,” Escalante said.
The Department of Education in Negros Island Region (DepEd-NIR) reported that the region faces a shortage of 6,298 classrooms, underscoring the urgency of accelerating school infrastructure projects.
Nationally, the Marcos administration aims to construct 2,370 new classrooms, with 2,000 targeted for completion by the third quarter of 2026, through a collaborative memorandum of agreement involving DepEd, DPWH and LGUs.
The President also stressed that strict monitoring systems will be in place to ensure transparency and prevent “ghost projects.”
“I am confident because I trust the LGU executives,” Marcos said.
“If you do not do your job, your constituents will remind you every day,” he added./CJ, WDJ