House panel reviews education reform bills

Three priority education reform measures were approved on Monday by the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture, chaired by Rep. Roman Romulo, marking a significant step toward addressing the country’s deepening education crisis.

The measures were principally authored by Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez, together with TINGOG Party-list Reps. Yedda Marie K. Romualdez, Andrew Julian K. Romualdez, and Jude A. Acidre.

They (the proposed measures) confront three interconnected challenges: the severe classroom backlog, declining learning outcomes, and structural weaknesses in the Senior High School system.

Among the approved bills is the proposed Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act (House Bill No. 5577), which institutionalizes a mechanism allowing local government units (LGUs) and private sector entities to construct classrooms in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd).

According to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), the Philippines faces a backlog of over 165,000 classrooms — a shortage that has resulted in large class sizes, double or triple shifts, and compromised learning conditions. By authorizing LGUs and private partners to access national funding and technical assistance, the CAP seeks to expand government delivery capacity and accelerate the construction of safe and adequate learning spaces.

The committee also approved the proposed Education Pathways Act (House Bill No. 4248), which restructures post-Junior High School education into two clearly defined tracks: a University Preparatory Pathway under DepEd and a Technical-Vocational Pathway under TESDA.

The measure responds to mounting evidence that the current system is failing to deliver intended outcomes. A 2022 World Bank report found that more than 90% of Filipino children aged 10 cannot read and understand age-appropriate texts, highlighting the scale of the learning crisis. A Pulse Asia survey conducted in March 2025 showed that 40% of respondents were dissatisfied with the Senior High School program, compared to 33% who expressed satisfaction. Meanwhile, a 2020 Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) study found that only one in five Senior High School graduates enter the labor force immediately after graduation, raising concerns about alignment between education and employment.

Complementing these structural reforms is the proposed Emergency Classroom Building Act (House Bill No. 5103), principally authored by Acidre in his capacity as Chairperson of the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education. The bill grants the President temporary emergency powers to expedite the construction, rehabilitation, and repair of classrooms nationwide.

The measure declares a state of national emergency in education infrastructure, citing international assessments that placed the Philippines among the lowest-performing countries. In the 2019 TIMSS, the country scored 297 in Mathematics and 249 in Science — the lowest among 58 participating countries. EDCOM II data further indicate that around 165,000 classrooms are lacking nationwide, affecting an estimated 5.1 million “aisle learners.” At the current pace of construction, it could take 30 to 55 years to eliminate the backlog.

Acidre said the committee approval signals that reforms must now move beyond recognition of the problem toward sustained implementation.

“We cannot expect better learning outcomes from a system that lacks the basic conditions for learning. Infrastructure, curriculum, and governance must move in coordination,” Acidre said.

“The era of diagnosing the problem is over. The next phase is disciplined implementation: classrooms delivered, pathways clarified, and results sustained,” he added.

The measures now move closer to plenary consideration as part of the House’s broader push to strengthen the foundations of the country’s basic education system.