Pupils cross elevated metal walkways at the Doña Damiana Deleon Macam Memorial Elementary School in Calumpit, Bulacan on June 8, 2026. The platforms were built to provide students with safe access to classrooms and allow them to attend class even during heavy flooding. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News
MANILA — As World Teachers’ Day comes on Monday, lawmakers highlighted the need for more programs and funding to address educational gaps in geographically isolated communities and to improve school infrastructure.
Quezon 3rd District Rep. Reynante Arrogancia said his proposed “Teacher in Every Barrio” bill seeks to institutionalize a scholarship and incentive program for teachers in geographically isolated and underserved communities.
He said recruiting and retaining teachers in these places remain difficult.
“Distance should not determine whether a child has access to a qualified and committed teacher,” he said.
The bill remains pending at the committee level.
P1-T FOR EDUCATION SECTOR
Meanwhile, Bukidnon 2nd District Rep. Jonathan Keith Flores pushed for the P975.96-billion proposed budget for the Department of Education, which he said may fund higher personnel spending, teaching allowances, benefits, career progression, training and additional personnel intended to ease teachers’ workload.
“As we mark World Teachers’ Day, our appreciation for teachers should be backed by the resources and support they need to do their work well,” Flores said.
He said he hopes that Congress’ budget deliberations will result in additional funding for education programs that remain underfunded.
The House Budget Amendments Review Subcommittee was still reviewing proposed amendments to the 2027 budget as of October 2, including funding requirements for programs identified as unfunded or underfunded, he said.
DepEd guarantees classroom construction in majority of LGUs within the year
The lawmaker also urged the business sector and civil society to support teachers and the efforts to improve school infrastructure, calling for greater private-sector participation in addressing the classroom shortage through public-private partnerships.
Flores said DepEd’s ongoing Public-Private Partnership for School Infrastructure Project Phase III seeks to build 16,435 classrooms in 1,092 existing public schools in Luzon.
He stressed the need for more safe, disaster-resilient and climate-adaptive classrooms and school buildings.
The DepEd earlier said the country still struggles with a 160,000-classroom backlog.
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