IN a forceful push against the nation's severe education crisis, Senator Paolo Benigno ‘Bam’ Aquino IV is directly challenging President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act as urgent, demanding immediate legislative action to fix a crippling classroom shortage.

Aquino, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education and authored Senate Bill No. 121 (CAP Act), pointed out the need for urgency, citing the Department of Public Works and Highways' (DPWH) inability to resolve the problem.

"Lahat ho tayo nagulat nung nalaman natin na bente dos lang ang classroom na ginawa ng DPWH ngayong taon," Aquino said, referring to the agency's reported construction of only 22 out of its target of 1,700 classrooms for 2025.

Decentralizing construction

The CAP Act is already listed among the administration's priority measures for the 20th Congress, but Aquino insisted that a presidential certification of urgency is necessary to expedite its passage into law.

The senator pointed out that the classroom backlog is massive.

URGENT. Sen. Paolo Benigno "Bam" Aquino IV (center), chairman of the Committee on Basic Education, smiles while speaking during a recent committee hearing at the Senate of the Philippines in Pasay City. The hearing tackled proposed measures to address the country's severe classroom shortage, including Aquino's Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act. Seated next to him is Sen. Rodante Marcoleta (right), Deputy Minority Leader. Photo courtesy of Senate of the Philippines

"Ang backlog po natin 145,000 pataas, kaya yung bente dos na pagawa ng DPWH hindi po talaga yan katanggap-tanggap," he said.

Once enacted, the measure aims to decentralize classroom construction by expanding the mandate beyond the DPWH. It would allow local government units (LGUs) and non-government organizations (NGOs) with proven capability to implement the projects directly.

"Mga local government unit, mga NGO na may track record, sabay-sabay po yan para ma-address po natin yung napakalaking problema natin sa edukasyon," Aquino said.

Under the proposal, LGUs and NGOs would be allowed to construct classrooms in their respective jurisdictions, provided they adhere to the standards and guidelines set by the Department of Education (DepEd).

Aquino noted that the bill would help implement the President's own directive to channel funds for necessary classroom construction directly to LGUs.

"Natutuwa po kami na sa araw pong ito, sinang-ayunan tayo ng Presidente," Aquino said about the bill's inclusion in the priority list.

He expressed hope that since there is already agreement on the matter, the President would certify the Classroom Acceleration Program as urgent so that "we can all simultaneously build classrooms for our youth.”