MORE than 200 local officials, lawmakers, and other leaders have united in expressing their strong support for the passage of Sen. Bam Aquino’s Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act, saying the proposed measure aims to help address the classroom backlog in public schools across the country.
Senate Bill No. 121, authored by Aquino, seeks to decentralize classroom construction by authorizing not only the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) but also local government units (LGUs) and qualified non-government organizations (NGOs) with a proven track record in school-building projects to build classrooms that meet the Department of Education’s standards and guidelines within their respective jurisdictions.
The League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP), headed by its national president, Echague Mayor Inno Dy; Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo; Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte; Tampakan Mayor Leonard Escobillo; Infanta, Quezon Mayor LA Ruanto; Marikina Mayor Maan Teodoro; and Akbayan Partylist Reps. Chel Diokno and Perci Cendana, were among those who expressed support for Aquino’s measure.
Various vice governors, vice mayors, councilors, board members, and former local officials from across the Philippines also joined in expressing support for the proposed legislation.
Belmonte also encouraged fellow Local Chief Executives (LCE) to back this endeavor of building classrooms and show that ‘we are capable of upholding honest, efficient, and accountable governance.’
Mayor Escobillo, who also serves as president of the League of Municipalities of the Philippines (LMP)-South Cotabato chapter and LMP vice president for the Mindanao cluster, said local governments are ‘more than willing and ready to take on this role and work with the national government to address the classroom backlog.’
Mayor Teodoro, for her part, shared the same sentiment and joined the growing clamor to transfer classroom construction functions to LGUs.
‘Local governments are ready to build and complete more classrooms. We join the call of PBBM and Sen. Bam Aquino to devolve classroom construction to LGUs, ensuring faster implementation, better cost efficiency, and stronger accountability at the local level,’ Teodoro said.
‘It is critical that we prioritize the learning environments for the next generation. We fully support Senator Bam Aquino’s Classroom-building Acceleration Program [CAP] Act, which will empower LGUs to build classrooms,’ Ruanto said.
‘Ang pagbibigay-kapangyarihan sa DepEd, LGUs, at NGOs na umaksyon at itayo ang mahahalagang espasyong ito ay hindi lamang tungkol sa imprastraktura. Ito ay tungkol sa pamumuhunan sa mas magandang kinabukasan para sa bawat batang Pilipino, na nagbibigay sa kanila ng pantay na pagkakataon na matuto at umunlad,’ he added.
Diokno and Cendana also expressed support for the measure, saying it will empower LGUs in constructing quality and safe classrooms.
‘The Administration should prioritize the welfare of our youth and certify this proposed measure as urgent so we can provide every Filipino student with a safe, complete, and conducive place to learn. Once enacted into law, this measure will empower local government units [LGUs] and qualified non-government organizations to take part in building classrooms efficiently and transparently,’ Diokno stressed.
‘We need the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program Act championed by Sen. Bam Aquino upang pabilisin ang pagpapatayo ng mga classrooms. Ma-e-empower natin ang mga local governments and NGOs na magtayo ng dagdag na silid aralan,’ Cendana said, adding that quick action is needed to save the country’s education from the brink.
Leaders, fellows, and members of the Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership and the Jesse M. Robredo Foundation, led by Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo, also added their voice to the growing clamor for Aquino’s measure, calling on the Chief Executive to certify this vital bill as urgent.
‘The nation faces a significant, crisis-level shortage of classrooms and learning spaces, directly impacting the quality of education for millions of Filipino children. This legislative measure is crucial for immediately addressing this gap,’ the group said.
Aquino, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, earlier urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to certify the proposed measure as urgent to accelerate efforts to eliminate the country’s classroom backlog.
If passed into law, Aquino said Senate Bill No. 121 will complement President Marcos’ directive to directly channel funds to LGUs to help speed up the construction of much-needed classrooms.
During the Senate hearing on the DPWH budget, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon expressed full support for Aquino’s proposal, saying the agency is open to partnerships that will help accelerate the construction of much-needed classrooms nationwide.