In the wake of the devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck near Maasim, Sarangani, on June 8, 2026, Senator Bam Aquino descended upon Mindanao to witness firsthand the destruction of school infrastructure and to demand immediate action on the sluggish implementation of the national classroom building program.
Aquino, upon returning as Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, has sounded an urgent alarm regarding the slow implementation of the national government’s P67-billion classroom building program.
The earthquake has left a trail of destruction across the region, with the Department of Education (DepEd) reporting that over 1,000 classrooms across 19 provinces have sustained varying degrees of damage from minor cracks to total destruction. With a national classroom shortage already hovering at 166,000. The disaster worsen an already critical situation for students and teachers.
“We’re gonna have a hearing to find out the progress of these classrooms. Mayroon na kaagad tayong minus 1,000 classrooms nung isang araw because of the earthquake. So naghahabol tayo, we want to put up these classrooms. Yung pondo, na pondohan ng Kongreso at ng Senado, we want to find out where this is at kung kamusta na to. And if we can really start building 26,000 classrooms this year,” he said.
Despite the enactment of a record-high P1.34-trillion budget for education, which includes the P67-billion allocation specifically for the construction of 25,000 new classrooms, progress on the ground remains stagnant.
The senator emphasized that the delay is not only inefficient but dangerous as the onset of the rainy season creates further obstacles to construction.
“Yung isa sa gusto ho namin tingnan, is to look into the classroom building progress in our country. Because I’ve been going around, number of Mayors have also talked to me. Mabagal yung deployment nung 67 billion peso na inallocate namin para sa classroom. Magsisimula na yung rainy season. Kapag umuulan, it gets harder to build. So, we are hoping this can be fast track and before the end of the year,” he said.
According to reports from the Department of Education and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the provinces of South Cotabato, North Cotabato, and Sultan Kudarat are among the most heavily impacted, requiring at least P245.8 million immediately for debris clearing and urgent repairs.
Aquino reaffirmed his commitment to ensuring that education remains a top priority, emphasizing that the government’s duty extends beyond merely passing a budget.
“Ito yung isa po sa mga priorities natin, to check on that budget, to make sure na nagagamit ito ng tama, to make sure na mabilis ang deployment niya. Kasi currently ang report sa amin ay mabagal ang deployment,” he added.
He also gives clear message to education officials that the safety and learning environment of Filipino children cannot be sidelined by bureaucratic system.
“You can imagine the trauma na pagdadaanan ng mga bata. So, ang daming kailangan gawin, Government needs to come in, act fast. Yung pagbibigay ng pondo para ma-repair yung mga classroom or para gumawa ng mga bagong classroom, kailangan mabilis. And one of the priorities of our committee is also to check yung nakalaan na 67 billion pesos for 25,000 or so classrooms. Bumalik tayo sa isang senado na nagtatrabaho, na gumagawa ng mga reporma para sa Pilipino, at hindi na yung puro conflict, puro away, puro drama. Bumalik tayo sa pagtulong sa taong bayan,” he said.
