SENATOR Bam Aquino has filed a measure seeking to strengthen decentralized governance and improve service delivery in the country’s basic education system through the creation and rationalization of Schools Division Offices (SDOs).

Filed as Senate Bill No. 2089, the proposed measure seeks to amend Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001 to address the growing challenges faced by the Department of Education over the past two decades.

In the bill’s explanatory note, Aquino said the education sector has significantly evolved since the law was enacted, citing the increase in learner population, the growing number of schools, and the increasing complexity of delivering quality education across different regions.

The proposal also raised concerns over the uneven workload among Schools Division Offices, noting that some divisions now supervise more than 1,300 schools, making it difficult to effectively oversee school operations, support teachers, and implement education programs.

Under the measure, the Secretary of Education, in coordination with the Department of Budget and Management, will be authorized to establish additional school divisions and reorganize, merge, realign, or subdivide existing divisions based on learner population, number of schools served, geographic conditions, workload demands, and other service delivery considerations.

The bill also seeks to ensure that every province and city will have at least one schools division office, while giving DepEd flexibility to adjust organizational structures according to evolving educational needs.

Aquino said strengthening the capacity of Schools Division Offices would help bring leadership, technical assistance, and administrative support closer to schools and ultimately improve learning outcomes for Filipino students.