MANILA — Sen. Bam Aquino called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to accelerate classroom construction in the remaining months of 2026 to meet the target of building 25,000 classrooms, saying delays continue to affect students and teachers nationwide.

During a Senate Committee on Basic Education hearing on classroom construction, Aquino said the P67-billion allocation under the 2026 national budget should result in quality classrooms that address the country’s education needs.

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Aquino noted that he pushed for the inclusion of the P67-billion allocation under the P1.34-trillion education budget to help reduce the country’s 166,000-classroom backlog.

“Ang tunay na sukatan ng tagumpay ay hindi kung magkano ang nailaan. Ang tunay na sukatan ay kung gaano karaming silid-aralan ang naitayo at gaano kabilis itong napakinabangan ng ating mga estudyante.,” Aquino said.

“Habulin natin ang target. Mag double-time tayo. Kung may kailangang alisin na mga problema at bottleneck, alisin natin. Kung may kailangang pabilisin na proseso, pabilisin po natin. Dahil ang pondo ng taumbayan ay nailaan para tugunan ang pangangailangan ng taumbayan,” he added.

Aquino said the government’s ability to efficiently implement the classroom construction program would influence decisions on future education funding.

“Kapag hindi ho natin naipakita na kaya nating gamitin nang maayos at mabilis ang pondong nakalaan para sa classrooms, kami po ay natatakot na posibleng mababawasan ang pondo para po sa susunod na taon,” he said.

“At alam ho natin, gawa ng 10-year national education plan, na kailangang pumopondo tayo ng ganito kalaki o mas malaki pang pondo para lang maabot natin ang 166,000 classroom gap na mayroon tayo,” he added.

He also said every delay in classroom construction prolongs overcrowding and forces teachers and students to cope with multiple class shifts.

“Kada araw na naaantala ang pagpapatayo ng classrooms, may batang patuloy na nagsisiksikan sa silid-aralan. Kada linggong naaantala ito, may guro na patuloy na nagtuturo sa dalawo o tatlo na shift. Kada buwan na hindi natin naipapatayo ang mga classroom na ito, patuloy nating ipinapasa ang bigat ng problemang ito sa mga estudyante,” he said.

Aquino cited his recent visit to Kasiglahan Village Elementary School and Kasiglahan Village National High School in Montalban, Rizal, where he observed overcrowded classrooms, early morning class schedules beginning at 5:30 a.m., and condemned school buildings declared unsafe because of substandard construction.

“Iyan ang dahilan kung bakit nandito tayo ngayong umaga. Kung bakit natin tinawag ang pagdinig na ito. Mahalaga na malaman natin ang status ng implementation ng ₱67 bilyong inilaan para sa classroom construction. Magkano na po ang nai-disburse, ilang proyekto ang nasimulan, anong ahensiya ang responsable sa kung anong amount ng kaperahan ilang classroom na ba ang nagawa na at ilang classroom ba ang ating target for the year,” Aquino pointed out.

“Mahalaga ring marinig ang ating mga local government units na katuwang sa pagpapatupad ng proyektong ito. Ano ang kanilang karanasan? Ano ang mga balakid na kanilang hinaharap? At ano ang mga repormang kinakailangan upang mapabilis ang implementasyon?” he added.

The Department of Public Works and Highways is also expected to present during the hearing its plans to speed up classroom construction under its jurisdiction, including measures to hasten procurement, construction, turnover of completed facilities, and reforms to address implementation delays.

Sen. JV Ejercito, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Finance, also urged concerned government agencies to intensify construction efforts during the second half of the year to achieve the government’s classroom target.