MAKATI CITY, Philippines — In a historic move toward greener education, the Department of Education (DepEd) is set to equip public schools with over 147,000 sets of bamboo-made desks and chairs starting this February.
The initiative, led by Education Secretary Sonny Angara, marks the first time a 16-year-old government policy—requiring at least 20 percent of school furniture to be made from bamboo—is being fully implemented. The rollout will include 144,081 sets for students and 3,235 sets for teachers, aimed at replacing old and unusable furniture that hinders daily learning.
Quality Meets “Tatak Pinoy” Secretary Angara highlighted that the move isn’t just about sustainability; it’s about quality and national pride. “We want to show that school furniture can be durable, sustainable, and high-quality,” Angara said. He added that using engineered bamboo is a great way to promote the “Tatak Pinoy” (Proudly Filipino) initiative, showcasing local creativity and supporting the domestic bamboo industry.
The program aligns with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s broader agenda on environmental resilience and industrial support. By using climate-resilient, engineered bamboo, DepEd hopes to provide a long-lasting solution to the perennial shortage and wear-and-tear of classroom facilities.
Building for the Future The furniture rollout is part of a massive infrastructure push by DepEd. Under the leadership of Angara, the agency has allocated billions for:
- Classroom Construction: P16.19 billion for 5,766 new classrooms.
- Learning Continuity Spaces: P5.5 billion for 3,666 temporary and disaster-resilient spaces.
- Last Mile Schools: P3 billion dedicated to 800 classrooms in the country’s most remote areas.
- Gabaldon Restoration: Over P11 billion for completing 2,067 classrooms and restoring 258 heritage Gabaldon buildings.
Secretary Angara emphasized that the agency is maximizing its 2026 funding to provide “efficient and faster solutions” to the country’s facility backlogs. With these new bamboo sets and thousands of classrooms under construction, the government aims to create a more conducive and inspiring environment for both Filipino learners and educators.