SENATE Committee on Basic Education chairperson Bam Aquino wasted no time in tackling the country’s classroom shortage, holding his first hearing on Tuesday (12 Aug 2025) to address the longstanding backlog.

Aquino underscored the need to determine the best value in classroom construction so the government can maximize resources and accelerate the pace of building new classrooms.

This push comes after the hearing revealed that classrooms built through local government unit (LGU) and private sector partnerships cost between ₱1.5 million and ₱2 million each—significantly lower than the ₱2.5 million to ₱3.8 million average cost of those built by the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“Gusto nating malaman, nasaan ba talaga ang pagkakaiba? During the technical working group, we will require different groups to submit everything down to the cost of materials and labor. Malalaman natin para makumpara natin. Baka naman iyong semento niyo kalahati lang ang presyo sa semento nila,” Aquino said.

He added that adopting more cost-efficient practices could double the number of classrooms built: “Kung magagawa natin ito at ₱1.5 million to ₱2 million, parang dumoble iyong kaya nating mabuo na classroom. I think this is something we can all get behind.”

Aquino also noted that LGU–private sector collaborations can complete projects in less than a year, compared to the years it typically takes national government agencies to deliver similar facilities.

In his opening statement, the senator warned that failing to address the backlog now could leave the problem unsolved for decades.

“Kapag hindi natin mahanapan ng solusyon ang backlog ng classrooms… mahigit pa sa limang presidente ang lilipas bago natin mahabol ang kakulangan na ito,” he cautioned.

The inquiry stems from Aquino’s proposed Senate Bill No. 121, or the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act, which would allow qualified LGUs and private entities to construct classrooms that meet national standards, with funding support from the national government.

“Kung mabubuo ang CAP Law, DepEd is going to prescribe… to be able to come up with those numbers, kailangan makumpara natin iyan. Hopefully, with the support of our chairman of finance and the executive department, we’ll be able to come up with a good fund na puwedeng sabay-sabay tayo lahat gumawa,” Aquino said.