Senator Bam Aquino on Friday announced that the Senate Committee on Basic Education will investigate the implementation of the P67-billion classroom construction program under the 2026 national budget, which aims to build 25,000 classrooms nationwide.
Aquino, who chairs the committee, said the inquiry scheduled on July 23 (Thursday) at 10 a.m. will look into the current status of the Classroom Acceleration Program and determine whether the allocated funds are being properly utilized.
“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.
“Seven months na po, rainy season na, pero nais po natin makita na iyong pondong ito magamit pa rin para sa classrooms para sa mga kabataan. Kitang-kita naman na kailangan na kailangan na siya,” he added.
Aquino helped secure the P67-billion allocation in the 2026 national budget as part of efforts to address the country’s shortage of around 166,000 classrooms.
During his school visit in Montalban, Rizal, Aquino inspected two condemned school buildings at Kasiglahan Village National High School and Kasiglahan Elementary School, which were declared unsafe due to structural issues, including major cracks in classrooms and hallways.
The senator said the two buildings, which were completed in 2013 but declared unfit for use in 2019 and 2023, respectively, remain covered by a 15-year structural warranty.
“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.
“Kung sino man iyan, sana makonsensiya sila na ayusin nila,” he added.
School officials also raised concerns over the lack of classrooms as enrollment continues to increase, including students from families relocated to Montalban from nearby areas.
Due to the shortage, both schools have implemented two-shift classes to accommodate their combined student population of more than 13,000.