SENATOR Bam Aquino welcomed the announcement of Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, the new chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance, that the proposed 2026 national budget will prioritize education. However, he stressed that funding must be significantly increased to meet the sector’s needs.

Aquino, who will serve as vice chair of the finance subcommittee handling the education budget, urged the government to raise education spending to 4–6 percent of gross domestic product.

“This means increasing the budget for education to address shortages such as classrooms, textbooks, internet connectivity in schools, support for teachers, feeding programs, and curriculum improvements for K-12,” Aquino said.

He expressed optimism that the Department of Budget and Management and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will support the proposal, noting that the President identified education as a top priority for the next three years in his State of the Nation Address.

Aquino, however, said the administration’s target of 40,000 classrooms is too low and can be expanded. He highlighted his proposed Classroom Building Acceleration Program bill—set for a Senate hearing on August 12—which aims to speed up construction.

The hearing will bring together the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Education, non-government organizations, and local government units to compare costs and improve efficiency.

Aquino cited data showing that LGUs and NGOs can build classrooms for around ₱1 million each, while government projects cost between ₱2.5 million and ₱4 million per classroom.

“If prices remain this high, we won’t be able to build enough classrooms. This raises questions on whether funds are being misused,” he said.

The senator also criticized spending on flood control projects in areas with no history of flooding, suggesting that funds should instead be redirected to address the country’s classroom shortage.

“Some of our classrooms are 50 years old, built during martial law, and in terrible condition. We must prioritize funding for classrooms over unnecessary projects,” Aquino stressed.