Legarda co-sponsors Classroom-Building Acceleration Program bill

Senator Loren Legarda co-sponsored Senate Bill No. 1482, or the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) bill, citing the urgent need to build structurally sound, climate-resilient classrooms as the country faces both a persistent backlog and intensifying environmental threats.

“In the past days, communities across several regions braced for the impact of Typhoons Tino and Uwan,” Legarda said.

“These remind us that our schools must not only keep pace with population growth but also withstand the intensifying threats of climate change,” Legarda added.

In its September 2025 report, the Department of Education (DepEd) reported a backlog of 147,347 classrooms.

“The national classroom backlog remains large and persistent, accumulated over decades of population growth, recurrent disaster exposure, natural deterioration of school buildings, and uneven quality and capacity in infrastructure delivery,” she added.

As Chair of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education, Legarda emphasized the critical connection between the quality of learning environments and student outcomes.

“When a child spends the day in a room that is overcrowded, poorly ventilated, or unsafe, we are asking that child to learn while managing discomfort and anxiety. The burden shifts from learning to coping.”

The CAP bill proposes a transformative model that enables capable local governments and qualified civil society organizations to implement classroom construction using national funds, provided all projects meet the DepEd’s Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications. These include climate resilience, digital connectivity, and adequate water and sanitation facilities. A Program Management Office within DepEd will oversee proposal review, technical quality, and transparency in procurement and implementation.

“This approach advances several urgent national objectives: education recovery, reduction of learning loss, equitable access for underserved communities, and infrastructure planning that is responsive to evolving environmental and community conditions,” Legarda said.

“It ensures that the classrooms we build are not only numerous but also structurally sound, context-appropriate, and suited for the climate future we already live in.”

Legarda, Co-Chair of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, concluded by thanking Senator Bam Aquino, Chairperson for Basic Education and Co-Chair of EDCOM II, as well as a principal sponsor of the CAP bill. (30)