SENATOR Joel Villanueva is pushing for a measure establishing public basic education schools in Geographically Isolated, Disadvantaged, and Conflict-Affected Areas.

Villanueva’s Senate Bill No. 1737 provides for access roads leading to Last Mile Schools.

The senator said basic education is the foundation of an individual’s intellectual, social, and moral development.

However, he said children living in geographically isolated, disadvantaged, and conflict-affected areas continue to face persistent structural barriers that place them at a disadvantage compared to their peers, resulting in significant learning gaps.

“The Philippines is home to approximately 110 ethnolinguistic groups and an estimated 12 million Indigenous Peoples,” Villanueva said in his explanatory note.

The senator further said studies examining the educational experiences of Indigenous communities, such as the Dumagat communities in the provinces of Nueva Ecija and Aurora, reveal that access to education remains severely limited due to distance, lack of infrastructure, and security concerns in remote areas.