Sen. Bam Aquino, commissioner of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, urges the the Department of Education to expedite the release of ₱65 billion to Local Government Units (LGUs), warning that continued delays will slow efforts to fix the country’s long-standing infrastructure backlog.

“Mahalagang maibaba sa lalong madaling panahon ang pondo sa ating mga katuwang na lokal na pamahalaan para agad nang masimulan ang pagtatayo ng mga classroom," Aquino said in a statement.

“Sa ganitong paraan, mas mapapabilis ang pagpapatayo ng mga silid-aralan at mas maraming estudyante ang mabibigyan ng maayos at ligtas na lugar para matuto," he added.

A long-standing crisis

The call comes amid the Philippines’ 165,000-classroom shortage, one of the most severe in Southeast Asia.

The deficit has forced public schools into double and triple-shift systems, shortened instructional hours, and compelled some communities to convert gyms, stages, and barangay halls into makeshift classrooms.

Several administrations have attempted to address the problem, but construction has repeatedly lagged behind the country’s fast-growing student population. Procurement bottlenecks, right-of-way issues, and slow fund releases have contributed to chronic delays.