Stricter screening of school project contractors urgedThe PSIP allows private firms to build, furnish and maintain public school classrooms, with the government paying them over 10 years or more before ownership is transferred to the state. Tulfo criticized what he described as the department’s inadequate assessment of private firms that participated in and were awarded contracts under the program. He said the shortcomings may explain the continued complaints his office receives from parents and teachers about substandard public school facilities, including deteriorating ceilings, poor ventilation and insulation and unsanitary restrooms. The PSIP allows private firms to build, furnish and maintain public school classrooms, with the government paying them over 10 years or more before ownership is transferred to the state. The pilot involves leasing a private school that closed during the COVID-19 pandemic and repurposing its facilities for public school use.

Source: Philippine Star February 09, 2026 16:36 UTC