Senator Bam Aquino is calling for faster repairs to schools damaged by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Mindanao on June 8, as he seeks an inquiry into the country’s 166,000-classroom backlog and the rollout of classroom construction projects funded under the 2026 national budget.
Aquino, who recently resumed his role as chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, said funds for damaged classrooms should be released as soon as possible after the Department of Education reported that more than 1,000 classrooms were affected by the earthquake.
The earthquake struck on the opening day of classes and disrupted school operations in parts of Mindanao. Authorities later reported at least 37 deaths, hundreds of injuries, more than 20,000 displaced residents, and around 88,000 people affected by the disaster. Schools were among the structures that sustained damage, while authorities warned the public against entering compromised buildings due to the risk of aftershocks.
“According to the DepEd Philippines, over 1,000 classrooms were damaged by the earthquake in Mindanao. The release of funds should be accelerated to ensure these are repaired as soon as possible,” Aquino said.
The education sector continues to face a classroom backlog estimated at 166,000 nationwide. Aquino said the Senate committee will examine the implementation of the P67-billion allocation under the 2026 national budget intended for the construction of 25,000 classrooms.
Despite the allocation, Aquino noted that classroom construction has yet to begin even as the rainy season approaches.
“We will focus on education crisis. First, we will investigate the P67 billion earmarked for classrooms,” Aquino said.
“We understand that the deployment process is sluggish, and we are eager to discover ways to expedite it, especially during rainy season, making it more challenging to construct a classroom,” he added.
Aquino said the committee’s review will focus on both the classroom backlog and the pace of project implementation as affected schools continue recovery efforts following the earthquake.
