Politicization of Allocation and the Persistent Problem of School Building Shortage in the Philippines

After round of monitoring of school building projects (SBPs) under the Bayanihang Eskwela, G-Watch has persistently encountered issues on allocation. This led G-Watch to inquire about the standard involving allocation. Is it a standard for a congressman to have his own list? Is it a standard for DepEd/DPWH to follow the congressman’s list? What are the criteria used in determining where to allocate SBPs? What is the standard process of allocation? Is realignment part of the standard process? When can SBPs be realigned? And for what reasons should it be allowed?

Consequently, these questions raised issues of responsiveness of the School Building Program of the government: are we allocating SBPs where it is needed most? Do we have enough resources to respond to the needs of the schools? How bad is the problem of acute classroom shortage? Are the relevant policies and programs of the government effective in addressing this problem?