THE SENATE has approved on third and final reading Senate Bill No. 1482, also known as the Classroom Acceleration Program (CAP) bill, which seeks to speed up the construction of public school classrooms nationwide.

The measure was passed with 22 senators voting in favor, with no opposition and no abstentions.

Under the proposed law, local government units and non-government organizations with proven experience in similar projects will be allowed to construct classrooms.

All classroom projects will remain subject to the standards and guidelines set by the Department of Education.

The bill also aims to streamline construction procedures while putting safeguards in place to prevent corruption.

Among these safeguards is the imposition of a price ceiling on classroom construction costs to prevent overpricing and misuse of public funds.

Earlier, Senate Committee on Basic Education Chairman Senator Bam Aquino said the passage of the CAP bill is expected to help address the country’s classroom shortage, currently estimated at around 165,000 nationwide.