Senator Paolo “Bam” Aquino IV revealed that 5.1 million Filipino students are forced to take classes sitting in the aisles due to a severe shortage of classrooms and seats.
According to the Department of Education (DepEd), the country lacks 165,000 classrooms, many of which are old, dilapidated, or used as evacuation centers.
Aquino criticized the slow pace of classroom construction compared to the rapid building of condominiums and casinos during the POGO boom.
He also questioned discrepancies between DepEd’s and the Department of Public Works and Highways’ (DPWH) estimated costs for building classrooms.
Aquino called for urgent action to stop wasting education funds, emphasizing that the shortage robs students and families of their dreams for a better future.
Source: PhilNews24 | August 13, 2025
BAM AQUINO HIGHLIGHTS 5.1 MILLION FILIPINO STUDENTS AS ‘AISLE’ LEARNERS
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