SENATOR Bam Aquino has urged swift government action to address the worsening classroom shortage in the Philippines as he sponsored Senate Bill No. 1482, or the proposed Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act, during his sponsorship speech on Tuesday.

The proposed measure seeks to empower local government units (LGUs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) to construct classrooms under the supervision of the Department of Education (DepEd), aiming to fast-track the process and close the widening classroom gap in public schools.

“What our country and our youth need is education, not corruption,” Aquino declared, linking persistent corruption issues in government to the chronic underinvestment in education infrastructure.

Aquino highlighted the country’s massive classroom backlog of 165,000, which, according to projections, could balloon to 219,000 by 2028 if the government fails to act.

He criticized the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for its slow implementation, revealing that as of October 2025, only 22 out of the 1,700 planned classrooms had been completed.

“Even if all 1,700 classrooms were completed, that would still be far from enough,” Aquino said. “At this rate, we cannot possibly close the gap within our children’s generation.”

Under the CAP Act, classroom construction will follow two core principles: proper pricing and timely completion.

The bill sets a price ceiling based on expert-approved designs that meet DepEd’s minimum standards, preventing both overpricing and substandard work.

The proposal also decentralizes classroom construction, allowing LGUs and CSOs to build simultaneously instead of waiting for national approval. Priority will be given to areas ready for immediate construction to accelerate progress.

To close the classroom gap by 2031, Aquino estimated that the country must build 39,000 classrooms annually for six years—requiring ₱90 billion per year or ₱540 billion in total.

He compared this with the ₱252 billion allocated for flood control projects in the 2026 national budget, saying it proves that sufficient funds can be realigned toward education.

Aquino thanked over 800 mayors and LGU officials who expressed support for the bill, along with DepEd Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who both backed the transfer of classroom construction responsibilities to local and civic entities.

He urged his fellow lawmakers to prioritize education in the upcoming 2026 budget deliberations.