Education Secretary Sonny Angara led the inauguration of the country's first fully air-conditioned public school building in San Pedro City, Laguna.
Yesterday, Education Secretary Sonny Angara led the inauguration of a new four-story building with 12 classrooms at Pacita Complex II Elementary School in San Pedro City, Laguna. This facility marks the first of its kind in the San Pedro division, representing a key milestone in modernizing public school infrastructure.
Angara highlighted the Department of Education's wider campaign to tackle the national classroom shortage. The agency is pursuing faster construction methods, such as leasing arrangements and collaborations with local governments and the private sector.
To bolster its Disaster Preparedness and Response Program, the Senate has raised its budget to P3.77 billion. Recently, DepEd launched the PlanSmart for Safe Schools web application for better contingency planning, the M7X School Ready Program certifying earthquake-resilient schools near the West Valley Fault, and the Safer Learning Facilities Guidebook to encourage durable school designs.
The department has also worked to recover lost instructional time by expanding the Dynamic Learning Program, EduKahon kits, and Learning Continuity Spaces. Additionally, Cognizant Technology Solutions Philippines Inc. donated more than 906 laptops to DepEd to enhance students' computer skills.
"We really want our students to be computer literate because we are now in the age of artificial intelligence. All industries will change, all methods will change, Filipinos must not be left behind," Angara said.