The Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines on Tuesday urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to investigate not only contractors but also government officials and lawmakers allegedly involved in questionable school infrastructure contracts following a Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) report linking billions of pesos worth of classroom projects to firms implicated in the alleged flood control scam.
ACT Chairperson Ruby Bernardo said contractors could not have secured the projects without the approval of government officials and legislators, pointing to what she described as an existing arrangement where lawmakers influence classroom construction projects in their districts instead of allowing the Department of Education (DepEd) to determine infrastructure needs.
The group cited PCIJ findings showing that companies linked to the Discaya and Co families obtained billions of pesos in school infrastructure contracts over the past decade. During a Senate hearing, former DPWH engineer Brice Hernandez testified that some school building projects in Bulacan’s First District were overpriced or substandard, with only 30% to 50% of contract costs reportedly going to actual construction.
ACT raised concerns that despite the government’s record ₱80-billion school infrastructure allocation for 2026, the country continues to face a severe classroom shortage. EDCOM 2 estimates the current deficit at 166,000 classrooms, which could rise to 219,000 by 2028.
The teachers’ group also questioned the use of unprogrammed appropriations (UA) and the Convergence and Special Support Program (CSSP) for school construction projects, saying these mechanisms have been used for legislative insertions. It further sought scrutiny of the government’s classroom construction targets, noting that while funds have been proposed for 6,587 new classrooms in 2027, DepEd aims to complete only 700 within the same year.
ACT called for a comprehensive review of the school infrastructure program, accountability for those involved in alleged irregularities, and reforms to ensure education funds are spent on classrooms and other needs of students and teachers rather than being lost to corruption. # (ZIA LUNA)
