SENATOR Bam Aquino announced that the Senate Committee on Basic Education will investigate the implementation of the P67-billion Classroom Acceleration Program to determine the status of the government’s classroom construction efforts under the 2026 national budget.

Aquino, who chairs the committee, said the hearing is scheduled on July 23 at 10 a.m. and will focus on how the P67-billion allocation intended for the construction of 25,000 classrooms has been utilized.

The senator said the inquiry aims to ensure the timely implementation of the program, noting that seven months have already passed this year and the country is now in the middle of the rainy season.

Aquino stressed the urgency of utilizing the funds to address the country’s classroom shortage, as students continue to endure overcrowded learning environments while waiting for new school buildings to be completed.

As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Aquino helped secure the P67-billion allocation under the 2026 national budget, which aims to build 25,000 classrooms and help reduce the country’s estimated 166,000-classroom backlog.

During a visit to Montalban, Rizal, Aquino inspected two condemned school buildings at Kasiglahan Village National High School and Kasiglahan Elementary School. The structures were declared unsafe due to major defects, including severe cracks in classrooms and hallways.

Aquino said the buildings, which were completed in 2013, were declared unfit for use in 2019 and 2023 but remain covered by a 15-year structural warranty. He vowed to identify the contractors responsible for the defective structures and urged them to immediately repair the buildings.

School officials also informed Aquino that both schools urgently need additional classrooms as they continue to accommodate a growing student population, including children from families relocated to Montalban from nearby communities.

With more than 13,000 enrolled students, the two schools have been forced to implement a two-shift class schedule due to the shortage of classrooms.