The Department of Education 7 reported that Cebu Province needs 5,466 new classrooms, with 6,261 rooms requiring minor repairs and 4,155 rooms needing major repairs to accommodate public school students.
The Cebu Provincial Board authorized a memorandum of agreement with the Department of Education on July 6, 2026, to allow the Provincial Government to assist in constructing and repairing school infrastructure.
Central Visayas faces a regional shortage of 10,845 classrooms, with officials citing limited government funding and the impact of natural disasters like Typhoon Tino and the 2025 northern Cebu earthquake.
CEBU Province needs 5,466 new classrooms to close the shortage in its public schools, a Department of Education (DepEd) 7 official told the Provincial Board (PB), as Capitol moved to formalize an agreement that would allow the Provincial Government to help build and repair school facilities.
The PB approved on Monday, July 6, 2026, a resolution authorizing a memorandum of agreement between DepEd and the Provincial Government for school infrastructure projects under the Basic Education Facilities Program.
DepEd 7 Director Arturo Bayocot and Cebu Province Schools Division Superintendent Senen Priscilo Paulin briefed the PB during the session on the condition of public school facilities after classes opened in June.
Cebu figures
Paulin said Cebu Province accounts for 5,466 of the needed classrooms in Central Visayas.
He said the Cebu Province Schools Division has 14,183 classrooms, of which 6,261 need minor repairs and 4,155 need major repairs.
School agreement
The agreement would cover qualified local government units and allow the construction, rehabilitation and repair of public school buildings across the province.
The measure allows the Province to take part in school infrastructure projects, subject to government procurement rules, engineering standards and DepEd guidelines. It was authored by PB Member Raymond Joseph Calderon.
Regional gap
Bayocot said Central Visayas, which is composed of Cebu and Bohol, lacks 10,845 classrooms, while 23,842 existing classrooms need repairs. He said 14,592 classrooms in the region remain functional and in good condition.
Natural calamities and other disasters have added to the number of school buildings that need repair or reconstruction, he said.
The shortage has strained public schools across the region, which has about 1.56 million enrollees, Bayocot said. Cebu accounts for the largest share.
He said the classroom shortage has also kept the student-teacher ratio above the ideal level.
Limited funds
Bayocot said government funds are limited, requiring DepEd to file infrastructure proposals in stages.
DepEd 7 has proposed the construction of 2,726 classrooms, which has been endorsed to the Regional Development Council 7. Bayocot said only a portion of proposed classroom projects is usually funded in a single fiscal year.
Under the 2026 General Appropriations Act, DepEd has a P1.015-trillion national budget for its operations nationwide.
Bayocot also cited the need for temporary learning spaces in areas affected by typhoon Tino and the 6.9-magnitude earthquake that struck northern Cebu in 2025.
DepEd has been using Learning Continuity Spaces to sustain classes while damaged school buildings await repair or replacement.
The resolution did not state how much the Provincial Government would allocate for the school infrastructure projects, which areas would be prioritized, or when construction and repairs would begin. / VEEJAY CATADMAN, UP CEBU INTERN
