SENATOR Bam Aquino expressed confidence that his proposed legislation, the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act or Senate Bill 121, can address the country’s classroom backlog of over 165,000.
Aquino, who chairs the Committee on Basic Education, said the bill would allow local government units (LGUs) and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to build classrooms with funding from the national government.
The senator saw the urgent need for more classrooms during an inspection of Lakandula Elementary School and Dr. Adelaido C. Bernardo High School in Mabalacat City, Pampanga, where he observed that some facilities were still being used despite being dilapidated.
“I-bypass natin ang DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways). Ibigay natin ang pondo sa LGU at sa NGO na may track record sa paggawa ng school building. Sa tingin namin, mas mabilis ang paggawa at mas mura pa, sa tamang halaga,” Aquino said.
He believes this approach would lead to faster, more cost-effective construction.
“Nais ho natin makita na may mas pondo pagdating sa edukasyon pagdating sa classroom at yung pondong yan na nasasayang lang, nabubulsa lang, at nawawala lang mapunta po sa tama,” he added, expressing his desire for funds to be properly allocated to education rather than being wasted or stolen.
Aquino urged the government to trust capable NGOs and LGUs to help improve education quality in their communities.
“In partnership with LGUs, DepED and of course na mapuntahan ko po yung budget dyan, I am sure kaya nating mapunan ang kakulangan,” he said.
The senator also advocated for diverting a portion of the flood control budget to education.
“Nais namin makita ang isang mas maayos na pondo ng flood control. Kutob namin, bababa ang P275 billion, mapo-focus siya sa lugar na may pagbaha. Iyong matatangal, sa tingin namin aabot pa siguro ng P100 billion, nais namin ilagay sa edukasyon,” Aquino said.
According to data from the Department of Education (DepEd), the regions with the most significant classroom shortages are:
According to data from the Department of Education, the regions with the most significant classroom shortages are Calabarzon (Region IV-A), with 31,010 classrooms, representing 18.7% of the total backlog; NCR, with 24,816 classrooms (15.0%); the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (Barmm), with 13,235 classrooms (8.0%); Central Luzon (Region III), with 13,070 classrooms (7.9%); and Central Visayas (Region VII), with 12,574 classrooms (7.6%).
Aquino assured that funding for classroom construction would be a priority in the 2026 budget. He urged DepEd to provide clear and timely data on the classroom backlog to determine the exact funding needed.
