BACOOR, Cavite — Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon has ordered a review of two unfinished school building projects in Bacoor, Cavite, after discovering that construction has been stalled for nearly a year due to funding and planning issues. The inspection covered Revilla High School and Aniban Central School, both of which have incomplete classroom buildings despite having been included in previous national budgets.

Dizon visited the sites at the request of Bacoor Mayor Strike Revilla and expressed concern over projects that begin without assured continuity of funding. He stressed that government infrastructure initiatives should not be launched unless financing is guaranteed from start to completion, noting that many public projects fail because budgets “run out midway.”

According to DPWH, the Revilla High School project was allocated over ₱25 million under the 2024 General Appropriations Act (GAA), while Aniban Central School received about ₱29 million under the 2023 GAA. However, the Department of Education (DepEd) revealed that both projects were approved even before proper soil testing was conducted—an oversight that proved costly given the schools’ proximity to the sea.

Once construction began, engineers found that additional structural stabilization was necessary, consuming the entire budget. As a result, no funds were allocated for the projects in the 2025 and 2026 GAA. DepEd officials admitted shortcomings in planning and have since committed to stricter implementation of soil testing and site adaptation policies for future projects.

Beyond bureaucratic lapses, the impact on students is severe. Nearly 900 students at Revilla High School attend classes in two shifts, with some starting as early as 5 a.m. Officials say completing the classrooms would allow the school to shift to a single-session schedule, improving learning conditions and student welfare.

With a nationwide classroom shortage exceeding 165,000, Dizon vowed to inspect other unfinished school projects across the country, emphasizing that government accountability should extend not only to launching new initiatives but also to completing existing ones. The situation raises a troubling question for public governance: If education is a priority, why do poorly planned projects continue to leave classrooms unfinished and students waiting? (Larawan mula sa: Facebook)