Sen. Bam Aquino will lead a Senate inquiry Thursday, July 23, into the delayed rollout of the ₱67-billion Classroom Acceleration Program amid questions over where the planned 25,000 new classrooms will be built.
Aquino, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, said that as of July 17, no public list had identified the schools and communities that would benefit from the program. The hearing is set for 10 a.m.
He said the investigation aims to determine the status of the classroom projects and whether construction can still be accelerated before the end of 2026.
“Hearing tungkol po sa Classroom Acceleration Program para malaman natin saan na ba napunta iyong P67 billion pesos na nakalaan para sa mga classroom. Makita natin na mahabol pa ito sa taong ito,” Aquino said after visiting two public schools in Montalban, Rizal.
The national government earmarked ₱67 billion in the 2026 budget to build 25,000 classrooms as part of efforts to address the country’s estimated shortage of 166,000 classrooms.
Aquino said the delays must be addressed immediately, especially with the rainy season underway and many schools still grappling with overcrowded classrooms and inadequate facilities.
During the visit, Aquino inspected condemned buildings at Kasiglahan Village National High School and Kasiglahan Elementary School, where severe cracks were found in classrooms and hallways.
He said both buildings were completed in 2013. One was declared unfit for use in 2019, while the other was condemned in 2023. Aquino added that both structures remain covered by 15-year structural warranties.
“Hahanapin naming iyong nagbuo niyan. Wala ka pang anim na taon, hindi mo na magagamit. Hindi naman puwede iyon. Holdap iyon. Parang naholdap tayo doon,” Aquino said.
School officials said the two campuses need additional classrooms for more than 13,000 students, including children from families relocated to Montalban. Both schools continue to operate in two shifts because the available classrooms cannot accommodate the entire student population.
