Classroom shortage: Bam wants to tap LGUs, NGOs in addressing issue
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The backlog of classrooms in Central Visayas will soon be addressed if Senate Bill No. 121 or the proposed Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act is passed into law.
The proposed legislation by Senator Bam Aquino seeks to authorize local government units (LGUs) and non-government organizations (NGO) to construct and renovate classrooms with funding support from the national government.
Give funds or budget to LGUs, NGOs
“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, chairperson of the Committee on Basic Education, said in a statement.
(Let’s bypass the DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways). Let’s give the fund to the LGUs and the NGOs with a track record in constructing school buildings. The way we look at it, it would be faster and cheaper, and at the right cost.)
Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara welcomed Aquino’s bill, saying it would help address the backlog of classrooms in public schools nationwide.
“We really look forward to the passage of that bill. It’s a breath of fresh air because, seeing how over the last decade the classroom deficit has increased year on year,” Angara said of Aquino’s Senate Bill No. 121 or the proposed Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act, during the Department of Education (DepEd) budget hearing in the Senate.
Classrooms shortage
According to data from the Department of Education (DepEd), the country is currently experiencing a shortage of over 165,000 classroom.
Central Visayas (Region VII), for example, is experiencing shortage of 7.6% which is equivalent to 12,574 classroom.
Shortage is also being experienced in CALABARZON (Region IV-A) with 18.7% or 31,010 classrooms; NCR with 15.0% or 24,816 classrooms; Bangsamoro Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) with 8.0% or 13,235 classrooms; and Central Luzon (Region III) with 7.9% or 13,070 classroom, among others.
Flood control funding
Aquino said that the construction of classrooms might be funded from the supposed allocation for flood control projects that is now the subject of scrutiny by various government agencies.
He seeks to “rechannel” part of the national government’s flood control budget to education, instead of spending these on areas that were not even flood-prone.
“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,” he said.
(We would want to see a proper funding of the flood control. We feel that the P275 billion will still go down, it would be focused on the areas where there are really floods. Those that can be cut, the way we look at it, can perhaps reach P100 billion, we wouold want to put that in education.)
Aquino identified the immediate need for additional classrooms after inspecting the Lakandula Elementary School in Dr. Adelaido C. Bernardo High School in Mabalacat City, Pampanga, where he saw dilapidated classrooms that were still being utilized by the school.
“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.
(We would want to see the funds when it comes to education when it comes to classrooms and those budget or funds, that would just be wasted, pocketed, and would just be gone, would really go to the right projects.)
2026 budget
Aquino gave the assurance that an allocation would be prioritized to fund the construction of additional classrooms in the 2026 budget.
Moreover, he urged DepEd to present a clear and timely data regarding the classroom backlog to determine the amount of funds needed for the construction of infrastructure for the education sector.
He said that construction of additional classrooms would be faster if this would be entrusted to the LGUs and NGOs in accordance with national standards and guidelines.
“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.
(In partnership with LGUs, DepEd, and, of course, I can revisit the budget for that, and I am sure that we can really fund the needed lack. | with report from Inquirer.net
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