SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian has renewed his call for a multi-pronged approach to address the country’s persistent classroom shortage, warning that current government allocations remain far below what is needed.

He noted that while the proposed ₱15.25 billion allocation for classroom construction under the ₱28 billion basic education facilities budget is a step forward, it is still a far cry from the ₱413.6 billion required to close the gap of some 165,000 classrooms nationwide.

“We need multiple solutions, including my proposed counterpart program where LGUs and the national government share costs, with LGUs handling construction,” Gatchalian said.

He also cited public-private partnerships and the expansion of the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) as viable alternatives to ease congestion in public schools.

“Hindi na maaaring business as usual ang pagtugon sa kakulangan ng mga classrooms,” he stressed, emphasizing the urgency of adopting innovative strategies to ensure access to quality education.