STATEMENT OF SEN. WIN GATCHALIAN ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF CLIMATE-RESILIENT SCHOOL BUILDINGS

As the Philippines remains one of the most disaster-prone countries in the world, constructing climate-resilient buildings is no longer an option but a necessity. Considering the perennial shortage of our classrooms, I must reiterate that we must utilize multiple solutions to meet our need for safe and sturdy learning spaces for our students.

In 2024, the Department of Education reported that 1,855 schools were affected by various calamities, requiring P6.6 billion for classroom repairs and P5.3 billion to replace 1,846 classrooms. Despite increasing its Quick Response Fund to P3 billion, the amount remains insufficient for classroom rehabilitation and reconstruction.

The DepEd's partnership with the Public-Private Partnership Center is a welcome development. Another solution we can explore is a counterpart program, where local government units and the national government share the responsibility of building classrooms. This will pave the way for the simultaneous construction of more classrooms. By exploring these innovations, we can make progress in constructing climate-resilient structures. Our learners deserve nothing less than safe, secure, and sustainable learning spaces.