69% of public schools still without titles – EDCOM 2

MANILA, Philippines — At least 69 percent of public schools nationwide remain untitled to the Department of Education (DepEd), delaying much-needed classroom construction and worsening congestion, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) reported yesterday.

As of May this year, only 7,075 public schools, or 16 percent, are titled to DepEd, while the titling process is ongoing for 7,373 schools.

Meanwhile, 32,424 public schools, or 69 percent, remain untitled, with 6,045 of them already experiencing congestion.

“Without land titling, even funded school infrastructure projects to address congestion face delays or cannot proceed,” EDCOM 2 said.

Beyond land ownership issues, the commission attributed severe classroom congestion to unplanned housing developments and weak inter-agency coordination, citing Naic, Cavite, as an example.

Its findings showed that rapid residential expansion without corresponding educational infrastructure has left local schools in the municipality overwhelmed.

Between the end of the school year in March and the opening of classes in June, enrollment in Naic surged by 5,450 learners, creating an immediate shortage of 135 classrooms based on DepEd’s 1:40 classroom ratio.

Muzon Elementary School’s enrollment jumped from 605 to 1,519 students in just three months, while Timalan Hills View’s population increased from 6,500 to 7,459 students despite having only 32 classrooms.

EDCOM 2 executive director Karol Mark Yee reported that some students now hold classes in temporary tents or repurposed housing units, while classrooms designed for 40 learners are accommodating up to 80.

The commission traced the problem to outdated policy loopholes.

Under the 2008 implementing rules of Batas Pambansa 220, developers are required to allocate land for schools only if a single housing project exceeds 1,500 units.

As many of Naic’s 48 housing developments fall below the threshold individually, the policy fails to account for their cumulative impact.

“How many more areas in the country are experiencing such sudden surges in student enrolment? How many more students started schooling this June, only to be surprised that they could not go to school everyday anymore because of congestion? What could DHUSD and DepEd have done to prevent this?” Yee asked.

Teachers’ concerns

Reacting to President Marcos’ education commitments in his fifth State of the Nation Address, many teachers’ groups expressed doubt that the administration could meet its goals without first addressing long-standing problems in public schools.

Yesterday, the Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) said the President’s commitments would remain inadequate if schools continue to face shortages of classrooms, guidance personnel, security guards and other essential resources.

“While the announced expansion of the School-Based Feeding Program, deployment of School Counselor Associates and classroom construction initiatives are steps in the right direction, they remain inadequate without sufficient funding and a comprehensive plan to address the deeper crisis in public education,” TDC chairman Benjo Basas said.

Echoing the same concerns, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers Philippines described Marcos’ declaration during his SONA that “teachers are more important than ever” as “nothing but lip service.”