Senator Bam Aquino has urged the Department of Education to expedite the release of P65 billion to local government units (LGUs), warning that continued delays will slow efforts to address the country’s long-standing infrastructure backlog.

“It is important that the funds be released as soon as possible to our partner local governments so the construction of classrooms can begin immediately,” Aquino said in a statement.

“In this way, the construction of classrooms will speed up and more students will have proper and safe places to learn,” he added.

The call came 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 pushed 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.