Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV has reiterated his call for the government to prioritize the construction of disaster-resilient classrooms across the country following the devastation caused by recent typhoons and earthquakes.
On Tuesday, Aquino visited Naga City with Mayor Leni Robredo to inspect two public schools that were severely affected by flooding. At Julian B. Meliton Elementary School, he found that 34 of its 71 classrooms are regularly inundated, while 24 are already condemned due to extensive structural damage.
Despite being declared unsafe, 10 of these classrooms are still in use because of the school’s chronic classroom shortage. Officials explained that the flooding is caused by the school’s low-lying location, swampy terrain, and inadequate drainage system, which traps water even long after the rain stops.
Classes in affected areas are often suspended during heavy rainfall, forcing Grade 2 and Grade 3 students to adopt a permanent shifting schedule. Aquino said similar conditions were observed at Mabolo Elementary School.
“It is important to take action now that the classroom budget and the education budget are being tackled (by Congress),” said Aquino, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education. “It is important that we protect our children from floods, earthquakes, and typhoons. Our schools must be climate resilient. They must be funded correctly, at the right price, at the right amount, and in a timely manner.”
Aquino has filed Senate Bill No. 121, or the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act, which aims to address the national backlog of 166,000 public school classrooms. The measure mandates local government units and accredited non-government organizations to construct classrooms that meet national standards, with financial support from the national government.
