Councilor Petite Principe, chair of the Committee on Education, Science and Technology, Arts, and Culture, said during the Pulong-Pulong sa Dabawenyos that improving education facilities remains one of the administration’s top priorities.
Principe said discussions are ongoing between the city government—through the Local School Board led by Acting City Mayor Sebastian Duterte—and DepEd to resolve the shortage, particularly in remote districts.
She emphasized that her committee is focused on facilitating the processing of deeds of usufruct for DepEd, noting that many school sites are owned by the city government. Without the proper legal instruments, local funds cannot be used for construction.
“Many school properties are titled under the city, but because of incomplete documentation, we cannot use local funds to build on these sites,” Principe said. “This is not just a local concern—it’s a perennial problem nationwide.”
She said the city government and the DepEd Central Office finalized protocols last month for the passage of deeds of usufruct, a mechanism that finally allows the use of city funds to construct school buildings on city-owned land.
According to Principe, 66 out of more than 400 schools in Davao City still have pending usufruct agreements. The city is currently facing a shortage of over 4,000 classrooms, a deficit the local government aims to significantly reduce within the next three years.
“For 2026, we will prioritize schools with the most urgent classroom needs and identify suitable sites for new buildings, especially in far-flung areas like Marilog and Paquibato where access and electricity remain challenges,” she added.
Principe said the city is also exploring pilot solar-power projects for schools without electricity.
“With the deeds of usufruct in place and proper planning, we hope to make substantial progress next year,” she said.
She emphasized that the initiative reflects the local government’s commitment to improving school infrastructure and providing students with safe, conducive learning environments.
DepEd-Davao City Schools Division Superintendent Reynante Solitario earlier reported that the city is short by approximately 4,053 classrooms, based on the standard ratio of one classroom per 30 elementary pupils.
DepEd-Davao expressed optimism that with the city government’s push, construction can proceed faster, assuring that the division is ready to supply all required documents to support the rollout of new school facilities. =#