HOUSE  Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez vowed to champion education reform as a top priority of the 20th Congress, outlining a legislative agenda focused on addressing the urgent needs of ordinary Filipinos.

Romualdez emphasized that the House would work to ensure education is recognized as a fundamental right for every child — not a privilege reserved for the wealthy.

“Education should not be a prize for the privileged, but a right for every child,” Romualdez declared.

To address educational inequality and reach underserved communities, Romualdez said the House would push for the passage of the Last Mile Schools Act, which aims to build and support schools in remote and disadvantaged areas.

The bill seeks to close the educational gap between urban and rural learners, particularly in far-flung barangays that still lack access to basic education facilities.

The Speaker also committed to amending the Expanded Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (E-GASTPE) Law to expand scholarships and learning support for students from low-income families who opt to enroll in private institutions due to limited capacity in public schools.

Romualdez further underscored the need to expand the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program — a learning recovery initiative designed to help students who fell behind during the pandemic. He said the House would push for its institutionalization and broader implementation.

In addition to academic support, Romualdez highlighted the growing importance of mental health among students and educators. He pledged to enhance mental health services in schools to ensure learners receive the emotional and psychological support they need to succeed.

“We must make our schools not only places of learning, but also places of healing and hope,” he said.

Romualdez’s education agenda is part of a broader legislative focus on uplifting the 99% — ordinary working-class Filipinos — in alignment with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recent State of the Nation Address.

“Congress must not be a house of privilege, but a pillar of support for the ordinary Filipino,” Romualdez said.