Talisay City in Negros Occidental has increased its financial support to Brigada Eskwela for the school year 2026-2027 as the city government partners with the Department of Education (DepEd) for the construction of PHP30 million worth of classrooms funded by the national government.

The city just north of Bacolod hosted the Negros Island Region’s Brigada Eskwela 2026 kick‑off at Don Simplicio Lizares Elementary School and Talisay Hope GK Sibol Elementary School on Monday.

In a press conference, Mayor Rowena Lopez-Lizares said Talisay City has availed of the funds to build more classrooms under the Nationwide Classroom Building Program.

“We are here to definitely support the needs of the DepEd. I would also like to mention our President Bongbong Marcos. He also gave funds directly to the local government units to make new classrooms. This is a very good program, and I’m very thankful to him. Talisay City is given PHP30 million,” she added.

Lizares said she will let the DepEd-Talisay City Division decide where the classrooms will be constructed.

For the school year 2026-2027, the city government provided each Brigada Eskwela participating school a financial subsidy of PHP20,000, higher than the previous years’ PHP10,000.

“We hope that this additional support will help our schools address their immediate needs as they prepare to welcome learners for another school year,” Lizares said.

The first DepEd-NIR Regional Brigada Eskwela Kick-Off was led by Education Undersecretary Fatima Lipp Panontongan and DepEd-NIR Director Ramir Uytico.

Brigada Eskwela is a five-day activity that upholds the spirit of “bayanihan”, encouraging community collaboration to prepare schools for the upcoming school year.

With literacy remaining the key priority of DepEd, including the improvement of school facilities, this year’s Brigada Eskwela embraces the theme “Bayanihan sa Paaralan: Nagkakaisa para sa Kaayusan at Kaalaman”, highlighting the power of collective action to strengthen both learning and school environments. (PNA)