Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV said there are at least 5.1 million students who are taking their classes along the aisle of school buildings due to the lack of seats and proper facilities.

Citing a report by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), Aquino said the Department of Education (DepEd) has affirmed there is a shortage of 165,000 classrooms and this basically means that more than five (5) million students are taking their classes in aisles due to lack of chairs.

“165,000 classrooms ang kulang ayon sa DepEd. Pero hinala din po namin na mas marami pa dito ang kakulangan. Halimbawa: mayroong mga classroom na itinayo noong 1960s na hindi pa nire-renovate. Marami din ang mga classrooms na ginagamit bilang evacuation center ng mga nabaha, nalindol, at ngayon ay sira-sira na (According to the DepEd, there is a shortage of 165,000 classrooms. But we also suspect that there are many more. For example: there are classrooms built in the 1960s that have not been renovated. There are also many classrooms that are used as evacuation centers for those who were flooded or earthquake victims, and now they are dilapidated),” said Aquino, chairman of the Senate basic education panel.

“Marami din ang classrooms na siksikan ang mga estudyante; ayon sa EDCOM report, 5.1 million ang aisle learners, o naka-upo sa aisle ng classroom kasi wala silang silya. Hindi rin natin nabibilang sa kulang ang mga classrooms kung saan may double shift o triple shift na mga estudyante. 165,000 ang kulang, o hindi pa nagawa. Pero ilang libo pa kaya ang sira, siksikan, o kailangan ng mga estudyante para sa pagshi-shifting (There are also many classrooms where students are crowded; according to the EDCOM report, 5.1 million are aisle learners, or sit in the aisle of the classroom because they do not have chairs. We also do not include classrooms where there are double shifts or triple shifts of students. 165,000 are missing, or have not been built yet. But how many more thousands are broken, crowded, or needed by students for shifting classes)?” he pointed.

Aquino said he finds it unacceptable that there is a surplus of condominiums in Metro Manila or casinos that were built so quickly at the height of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGO) industry.

“Parang ang bilis bilis makagawa ng building, pero hanggang ngayon kulang kulang ang classroom sa buong bansa? Bakit, hanggang ngayon, mayroon pang mga bottleneck para sa paggawa ng classroom (It seems like buildings were built so quickly, but until now there is a shortage of classrooms across the country? Why, until now, are there still bottlenecks for classroom construction)?” he said.

Aquino also noted the disparities between the projected cost forwarded by the DepEd for the construction of classrooms and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Citing the EDCOM report, Aquino said the DepEd pegged the cost at P2.5-million but the DPWH is proposing an amount of P3.5-million.

“Bakit magkaiba ang presyo? At saan napupunta ang pera kung 847 classrooms lang ang natayo noong 2024? Yung pagwawaldas ng pera sa edukasyon, dapat walang puwang sa lipunan natin (Why are the prices different? And where does the money go if only 847 classrooms were built in 2024? Wasting money on education should have no place in our society),” said Aquino.

“Dahil hindi lang eskwelahan ang ninanakawan, kundi pangarap ng mga kabataan at mga pamilya na naghahangad lang na may anak silang makapagtapos (Because it's not just schools that are being robbed, but the dreams of young people and families who just want their children to graduate),” he stressed.