SENATOR Bam Aquino urged the Department of Education (DepEd) to work double time in the second half of 2026 to ensure the timely completion of its target of 25,000 classrooms, stressing that further delays continue to burden Filipino learners and teachers.

In his opening remarks during the Senate Committee on Basic Education hearing on classroom construction, Aquino emphasized that the P67-billion allocation under the 2026 national budget must be translated into quality learning spaces that address the needs of students and teachers nationwide.

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Aquino helped push for the inclusion of the P67-billion classroom construction fund in the historic P1.34-trillion education budget to help address the country’s 166,000-classroom backlog.

“Ang tunay na sukatan ng tagumpay ay hindi kung magkano ang nailaan. Ang tunay na sukatan ay kung gaano karaming silid-aralan ang naitayo at gaano kabilis itong napakinabangan ng ating mga estudyante,” Aquino said.

“Habulin natin ang target. Mag-double time tayo. Kung may kailangang alisin na mga problema at bottleneck, alisin natin. Kung may kailangang pabilisin na proseso, pabilisin po natin. Dahil ang pondo ng taumbayan ay nailaan para tugunan ang pangangailangan ng taumbayan,” he added.

Aquino reminded concerned agencies that the efficient utilization of the classroom construction budget would be a key factor in determining whether the government should increase future investments in the education sector.

“Kapag hindi ho natin naipakita na kaya nating gamitin nang maayos at mabilis ang pondong nakalaan para sa classrooms, kami po ay natatakot na posibleng mabawasan ang pondo para po sa susunod na taon,” he said.

“At alam ho natin, gawa ng 10-year National Education Plan, na kailangang maglaan tayo ng ganito kalaki o mas malaking pondo para lang maabot natin ang 166,000 classroom gap na mayroon tayo,” he added.

The senator warned that every delay in classroom construction directly affects learners and teachers, forcing students to endure overcrowded classrooms while teachers continue to manage multiple shifting schedules.

“Kada araw na naaantala ang pagpapatayo ng classrooms, may batang patuloy na nagsisiksikan sa silid-aralan. Kada linggong naaantala ito, may guro na patuloy na nagtuturo sa dalawa o tatlong shift. Kada buwan na hindi natin naipapatayo ang mga classroom na ito, patuloy nating ipinapasa ang bigat ng problemang ito sa mga estudyante,” he said.

Aquino also shared his recent visit to Kasiglahan Village Elementary School and Kasiglahan Village National High School in Montalban, Rizal, where he witnessed overcrowded classrooms, students attending classes as early as 5:30 a.m. due to shifting schedules, and condemned school buildings declared unsafe because of substandard construction.