DepEd: New public schools must be PWD-accessible, disaster-resilient

MANILA, Philippines — New building standards issued by Education Secretary Sonny Angara require new public schools to be disaster-resilient and accessible to persons with disabilities (PWDs), among other things.

The new requirements are set in DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, which establishes the Enhanced Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications (MPSS) for public basic education facilities.

The order, which takes effect starting in fiscal year 2027, updates 2017 and 2021 guidelines and serves as the technical reference pursuant to applicable DepEd policies, laws, codes, and procurement laws for all new school infrastructure and furniture procurement.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: DepEd speeds up rollout of prefab, disaster-resilient classrooms

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

Angara said the modern standards align directly with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to accelerate the delivery of safe, high-quality, and future-proof classrooms nationwide.

“In line with President Bongbong Marcos’ vision of an inclusive learning environment, these standards ensure that our schools respect learner dignity, protect their health, and welcome every Filipino child without exception,” Angara said.

“Having one unified standard makes it easier for our partners and project engineers to build right the first time. Proper airflow, ergonomic seats, and barrier-free pathways are not luxury add-ons, but basic prerequisites for effective learning,” he added.

The updated framework, which integrates universal accessibility with health protocols, requires all schools to have the following PWD features:

Article continues after this advertisement

• wheelchair ramps with a maximum 1:20 incline to be wheelchair-friendly
• non-skid surfaces
• tactile paving with warning blocks for visually impaired learners
• PWD-accessible sanitation facilities equipped with safety handrails

For the safety of everyone, these specifications must be followed:

• There must be gender-separated restrooms and accessible handwashing stations, with fixture ratios of at least one female toilet per 20 to 25 female students and one male toilet per 25 to 30 male students.
• To curb overcrowding and boost learning comfort, standard general instruction rooms should be at least 63 square meters and designed to accommodate a maximum of 40 students.
• Classrooms must maintain continuous indoor cross-ventilation through a minimum 2.7-meter ceiling height, a 20 percent floor-to-window area ratio, wall- and ceiling-mounted fans, and unblocked air vents.
• Classroom furniture must be lead-safe and ergonomic, with neutral desks suitable for both left- and right-handed learners, and at least 20 percent of furniture components constructed from sustainable bamboo pursuant to Executive Order No. 879.

To protect school communities against extreme natural disasters, structural specifications require all new buildings to withstand super typhoon winds of up to 340 km/h and major magnitude 8.0 earthquakes.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Angara leads deals to modernize school infra, boost digital resilience

Mandatory engineering standards include the following:

• anchored roof trusses
• fire-retardant materials
• footings at least 600 mm deep
• specialized deep foundation micropiles or raft foundations for hazard-prone, weak-soil locations to guarantee a minimum structural design life requirement, subject to proper design, construction, maintenance, and site conditions.

For campus security, sites will feature a 2-meter-high perimeter fence with controlled access gates to eliminate blind spots.

Finally, to lower heat absorption, reduce energy usage, and maintain visual uniformity across all campuses, DepEd is standardizing building colors to the following:

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

• Baguio green for roofs
• white for ceilings
• cream for interior walls
• ivory white for exterior walls
• metallic gray for railings
• red for safety accents