THREE priority education reform measures authored by Leyte 1st District Rep. Martin Romualdez have been approved by the House Committee on Basic Education.

Foremost among the measures is House Bill No. 5577, or the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program Act, which seeks to institutionalize a mechanism allowing LGUs and private sector entities to construct classrooms in coordination with DepEd.

The proposal aims to address the country’s worsening classroom shortage.

Citing a report by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), lawmakers noted that the Philippines is currently facing a backlog of around 165,000 classrooms nationwide.

Also approved was House Bill No. 4248, or the Education Pathways Act, which seeks to restructure post-Junior High School education into two clearly defined tracks: a University Preparatory Pathway under DepEd and a Technical-Vocational Pathway under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

Lawmakers said the measure responds to findings from a 2022 report by the World Bank, which showed that more than 90 percent of Filipino children aged 10 and below struggle to read and comprehend age-appropriate texts.

The bill aims to streamline learning pathways and better align students’ competencies with higher education or employment opportunities.

Completing the trio of reform measures is House Bill No. 5103, authored by Tingog Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre, who chairs the Committee on Higher and Technical Education.

HB 5103 grants temporary emergency powers to President Marcos to fast-track the construction, rehabilitation, and repair of classrooms nationwide following the declaration of a national emergency in education infrastructure.

Lawmakers said the package of measures is intended to address both the quantitative and qualitative challenges hounding the country’s education sector—from infrastructure gaps to learning outcomes—as part of a broader push for systemic reform.