MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will replace condemned school buildings across the country to provide Filipino students with safe, comfortable, and quality learning environments.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued the directive to Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon following an inspection at the Liwan West Elementary School in Rizal, Kalinga after learning that students continue to use the aging structures for classes.
Dizon said the school buildings, constructed in the 1980s, had been declared unsafe but remained in use due to the lack of replacement facilities.
"The order forms part of the administration’s push to provide Filipino students with safe, comfortable, and quality learning environments," added Dizon.
During an inspection of the school, Dizon personally witnessed the poor condition of the classrooms.
The DPWH chief observed cracked concrete floors, deteriorating ceilings, and other structural defects that posed risks to students and teachers.
He also noted the makeshift comfort rooms that learners and school personnel have been forced to use during the school year.
Dizon said the President had instructed government agencies to inspect conditions on the ground and immediately address urgent infrastructure needs.
“That was the President’s directive—to go around, assess the situation, and find solutions,” Dizon said after inspecting the school, adding that the same would be replicated in other parts of the country.
“We must ensure that our students have proper places to learn,” he further said. “Let’s give our children the dignity they deserve.”
The planned replacement of the condemned buildings is expected to provide safer and more conducive classrooms for hundreds of pupils in the remote Kalinga community.
Government officials said the project reflected the administration’s commitment to improving public school infrastructure and ensuring that no child was forced to study in unsafe conditions.
