The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) has expressed support for the passage of a proposed measure seeking to grant President Macos emergency powers to address the country’s classroom shortage, which now exceeds 165,000.
Earlier, Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre filed House Bill 5103, which aims to declare a state of national emergency to tackle the severe lack of classrooms across the country.
Under the bill, President Marcos would be granted temporary emergency powers to fast-track classroom construction by adopting special procurement measures, reallocating government funds and establishing an oversight task force to address the shortage.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara previously disclosed that the shortage is primarily due to the country’s growing population.
Both the Department of Education (DepEd) and EDCOM 2 reported that the education system continues to struggle with a persistent and severe classroom shortage, compounded by a massive backlog in the repair and rehabilitation of existing school facilities.
The measure cited that millions of students are currently attending overcrowded classes, with many schools implementing double or triple shifts, while others resort to makeshift or condemned structures, compromising students’ health, safety and learning outcomes.
The bill also noted that the country’s frequent exposure to natural calamities such as typhoons and earthquakes has worsened the situation, necessitating the immediate repair and reconstruction of thousands of damaged schools.
‘Existing procurement, budgetary and administrative processes, while necessary for accountability, are often too slow and cumbersome to effectively address this crisis with the urgency it demands. The traditional timeline for project conceptualization, bidding and execution spans multiple fiscal years, a pace that cannot keep up with the increasing student population and the rapid destruction of facilities caused by disasters,’ Acidre said in his explanatory note.
The government, he added, aims to declare a ‘temporary and targeted state of necessity’ within the education infrastructure sector.
‘The grant of emergency powers, which shall be for a limited period and subject to strict reporting and oversight by Congress, is imperative to streamline procurement, accelerate budget utilization and ensure inter-agency coordination,’ said Acidre.
ARAL program
Aside from the passage of House Bill 5103, the government is also pushing to strengthen the implementation of the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program.
Angara has directed concerned DepEd officials to refine the program and the promotion system for teachers, following President Marcos’ order during the culmination of National Teachers’ Month.
The directive was issued during the 47th executive committee meeting, where discussions also covered the Senior High School Recognition program, safe learning environments and updates from the School Meals Coalition Global Summit.
At the same meeting, Marcos vowed that no public school teacher will retire as Teacher I, underscoring the implementation of Republic Act 12288 or the Career Progression System for Public School Teachers and School Leaders Act, which expands teachers’ career pathways.
DepEd Memorandum 64 enforces the ARAL-Reading component for key stages 1 to 3 under Republic Act 12028 or the ARAL Program Act, which offers free tutorials to address learning gaps.
For school year 2025-2026, the program will prioritize reading, targeting over 6.7 million learners with the help of 447,000 tutors and 45,000 school heads.
ARAL-Reading will launch in the second quarter, to be followed by ARAL-Mathematics for Grades 1 to 10, ARAL-Science for Grades 3 to 10 and ARAL-Summer Programs.
DepEd said tutor training, learning material distribution and readiness audits have been completed to ensure the program’s success.
Goverment pensions
In a separate development, officials of the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) met with representatives of the Action and Solidarity for the Empowerment of Teachers (ASSERT) and the Philippine Government Employees Association (PGEA) to discuss concerns on pensions and other benefits of teachers.
The dialogue, led by GSIS president and general manager Wick Veloso, tackled issues raised by members and pensioners, including the review of the minimum pension, burial benefits and the Christmas cash gift for some retirees.
Veloso gave assurance that the GSIS understands these concerns, but emphasized that any adjustment to benefits must undergo actuarial study to protect the long-term stability of the Social Insurance Fund.
He also cited ongoing GSIS initiatives to make transactions easier for members, such as the GSIS Touch mobile app for online loan filing and Annual Pensioners’ Information Revalidation, as well as housing programs with lease-with-option-to-buy schemes.
ASSERT president Arlene James Pagaduan underscored the importance of continuous consultations to address teachers’ issues effectively, while PGEA president Esperanza Ocampo said her group looks forward to sustained collaboration with GSIS to advance the welfare of government workers.
The GSIS said a separate meeting would be held with the Teachers’ Dignity Coalition.