{"id":18675,"date":"2026-02-11T11:23:11","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T03:23:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/?p=18675"},"modified":"2026-02-11T11:23:11","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T03:23:11","slug":"chiz-designation-of-sorsogon-as-pilot-area-for-classroom-expansion-initiative-boosts-provinces-commitment-to-education","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/2026\/02\/11\/chiz-designation-of-sorsogon-as-pilot-area-for-classroom-expansion-initiative-boosts-provinces-commitment-to-education\/","title":{"rendered":"CHIZ: DESIGNATION OF SORSOGON AS PILOT AREA FOR CLASSROOM EXPANSION INITIATIVE BOOSTS \u00a0PROVINCE\u2019S COMMITMENT TO EDUCATION"},"content":{"rendered":"

SENATOR Francis \u201cChiz\u201d Escudero on Tuesday welcomed the Department of Education\u2019s (DepEd) designation of Sorsogon as pilot area for its expanded classroom construction initiative, saying the province\u2019s selection is a recognition of the local government unit\u2019s (LGU) long-standing commitment to better education. <\/strong><\/p>\n

In commending the initiative, Escudero said the move affirms the principle he earlier advocated: Capable LGUs, when empowered through national partnerships, can accelerate progress in critical sectors like education. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The senator has earlier called on the national government to pursue a tripartite agreement among DepEd, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the Department of Agriculture (DA), to empower qualified LGUs to achieve accelerated growth through improved infrastructure, stronger rural connectivity, and better school facilities. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Escudero said the selection of Sorsogon reflects DepEd\u2019s confidence in the province\u2019s readiness to deliver. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis collaboration reflects the same framework that I advocated recently about national agencies partnering with LGUs that have proven capacity and stability,\u201d Escudero said.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cDepEd\u2019s confidence in Sorsogon shows how this model can deliver faster, more accountable results,\u201d he added.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The veteran legislator issued the statement after Education Secretary Sonny Angara confirmed the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA), tentatively set on February 11 in Malaca\u00f1ang, with the President expected to witness the ceremony. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Escudero, who served as governor of Sorsogon from 2019 to 2022, emphasized that education has always been a priority for the province. <\/strong><\/p>\n

During his term, he strengthened school infrastructure, expanded digital learning support, and implemented pandemic\u2011era interventions to ensure continuity of education. These efforts complemented the province\u2019s broader infrastructure and peace\u2011and\u2011order gains, positioning Sorsogon to lead in addressing the classroom backlog. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Under the proposed MOA, the Provincial Government of Sorsogon will undertake school building projects through the Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEFF). The LGU will lead procurement and construction, while DepEd will provide financial assistance and technical guidance to ensure compliance with national standards and quality assurance requirements. <\/strong><\/p>\n

The joint undertaking is designed to combine local agility with national expertise, enabling faster and more accountable project delivery. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Escudero said the collaboration is a model for how national and local governments can work together to solve systemic challenges. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Incumbent Gov. Jose Edwin \u201cBoboy\u201d Hamor expressed gratitude for the opportunity and affirmed the province\u2019s readiness to implement the projects. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Hamor noted that Sorsogon\u2019s growing self\u2011reliance in infrastructure implementation is the result of sustained economic momentum and institutional strengthening. <\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cOur province is eager to support DepEd\u2019s mission of providing adequate and conducive learning spaces,\u201d the governor said. <\/strong><\/p>\n

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SENATOR Francis “Chiz” Escudero on Tuesday welcomed the Department of Education’s (DepEd) designation of Sorsogon as pilot area for its expanded classroom construction initiative, saying<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":18676,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[5],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18675"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18675"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18675\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18677,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18675\/revisions\/18677"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18676"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18675"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18675"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/journaldailynewsonline.com.ph\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18675"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}