Cayetano lauds DepEd reforms, but says it's time to make 'bolder decisions' to fix K-12

PHILIPPINES, August 4 - Press Release
August 4, 2025

Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday welcomed the Department of Education's (DepEd) recent reforms to address long-standing problems in the K-12 system, but said these must be followed by "radical" actions and smarter budget decisions if the country wants real progress in basic education.

Cayetano's statement followed recent Facebook posts by DepEd reporting actions the administration has taken to improve the basic education system.

Among the reforms the senator lauded were the following:

The construction of 154 child development centers, with a P3-million allocation per center;
The hiring of 16,000 teachers this year and 65,000 more in the pipeline;
Stronger integration of TESDA into the senior high school curriculum and expanded access to free skills assessment;
Distribution of laptops, smart TVs, Wi-Fi, and Bayanihan SIM cards to support digital learning.

"These are the right problems to solve - these pre-K-12 issues we've ignored for too long," said Cayetano, who co-chairs the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).

But the senator was quick to caution that simply doing something is not enough.

"As we find out the problems and try to solve them, alamin natin kung ano talaga ang priority of all our priorities -- because kung maraming priorities, walang priority," he said.

"We have to spend more money -- and wisely -- dito sa DepEd," he added.

Half-day classes, crammed schools

For one, Cayetano again flagged the shift to half-day classes in many public schools, a symptom of overcrowding that he said undermines learning no matter how good the facilities are.

"Nag-additional two years ka nga [sa K-12], half day ka naman," he said.

"Three to four hours in school, four hours on TikTok or social media, and then another few hours (on the) street. That's the kind of future we're looking at," he added.

He also pointed to the country's classroom shortage, pegged at 165,000, which remains unresolved despite the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) operating with a P1-trillion budget.

"We can end the lack of classrooms in a year. If per classroom costs P1 million, that accounts to only P165 billion -- almost half or two-thirds of the DPWH budget," he said.

During last year's plenary debates on DPWH's 2025 budget, Cayetano had urged the government to consider shifting some of the agency's funds to the education sector.

"Kung tayo ay committed sa K-12, y'ung pera para sa classrooms, ilagay natin. Y'ung mga kailangan na gamit - sports facilities, makina - ilagay natin sa loob ng mga school," he said.

Stunting, the silent crisis in education

The senator also reiterated his warning that even the most well-funded education reforms will fall short if child malnutrition and stunting remains unaddressed.

"You can have free and quality education, scholarships, and the best computers, pero 'pag stunted ang bata, mahirap nang mai-correct iyon," he said.

He cited a study by the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), which found that current feeding programs are not making significant impact, largely because they provide only one fortified meal for just 120 days in a school year, at a cost of just P15 per meal.

Cayetano was the first to raise the issue in an EDCOM 2 hearing in 2024. Months later, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and DepEd allocated P1 billion to build over 300 daycare centers.

To institutionalize the effort, he filed the Anti-Stunting Action Plan (ASAP) Council Act of 2025, which seeks to create a high-level body to lead a whole-of-government, whole-of-society plan to reduce and prevent stunting.

"I say all of these with passion because I saw it before my eyes -- kung ano y'ung successful at kung ano y'ung dumudurog sa sistema," Cayetano said.

Cayetano ikinatuwa ang ilang reporma ng DepEd, pero iginiit ang mas matatapang na hakbang para maayos ang K-12

Ikinatuwa ni Senador Alan Peter Cayetano ang mga hakbang ng Department of Education (DepEd) para tugunan ang mga problema sa basic education, pero iginiit niyang "radikal" na aksyon at mas matalinong paglalaan ng pondo ang kailangan para tuluyang mabago ang sistema ng edukasyon sa bansa.

Ipinahayag ito ni Cayetano nitong Biyernes kasunod ng Facebook posts ng DepEd tungkol sa mga hakbang ng administrasyon para pagandahin ang kalidad ng basic education.

Ilan sa mga repormang kinilala ng senador ay ang mga sumusunod:

Pagtatayo ng 154 na Child Development Centers na may tig-P3 milyon na pondo;
Pag-hire ng 16,000 guro ngayong taon at target na karagdagang 65,000 pa;
Mas malalim na integrasyon ng TESDA sa senior high school curriculum at mas pinalawak na access sa libreng skills assessment;
Pamimigay ng laptops, smart TVs, Wi-Fi, at Bayanihan SIM cards para sa digital learning.

"These are the right problems to solve - these pre-K-12 issues we've ignored for too long," ani Cayetano, co-chair ng Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).

Pero giit niya, kailangang maging mas "radikal" pagdating sa paglalaan ng pondo sa sektor ng edukasyon.

"As we find out the problems and try to solve them, alamin natin kung ano talaga ang priority of all our priorities -- because kung maraming priorities, walang priority," ani Cayetano.

"We have to spend more money -- and wisely -- dito sa DepEd," dagdag pa niya.

Half-day classes, siksikang silid-aralan

Isa sa muling pinuna ni Cayetano ang half-day classes sa maraming pampublikong paaralan, bunga ng siksikang mga silid-aralan.

"Nag-additional two years ka nga [sa K-12], half day ka naman," diin niya.

"Three to four hours in school, four hours on TikTok or social media, and then another few hours (on the) street. That's the kind of future we're looking at," dagdag pa ng senador.

Tinukoy rin ni Cayetano ang 165,000-classroom backlog ng bansa, na hanggang ngayon ay hindi pa rin natutugunan kahit may halos P1 trilyong budget ang Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

"We can end the lack of classrooms in a year. If per classroom costs P1 million, that accounts to only P165 billion -- almost half or two-thirds of the DPWH budget," aniya.

Noong plenary debates ng 2025 budget ng DPWH, iminungkahi ni Cayetano na ilipat ang bahagi ng pondo ng ahensya sa sektor ng edukasyon.

"Kung tayo ay committed sa K-12, y'ung pera para sa classrooms, ilagay natin. Y'ung mga kailangan na gamit - sports facilities, makina - ilagay natin sa loob ng mga school," giit niya.

Stunting, ang tahimik na krisis sa edukasyon

Binigyang diin din ni Cayetano na kahit gaano pa kalaki ang pondo sa edukasyon, mabibigo ang mga reporma kung hindi matutugunan ang malnutrisyon at stunting sa mga bata.

"You can have free and quality education, scholarships, and the best computers, pero 'pag stunted ang bata, mahirap nang mai-correct iyon," aniya.

Binanggit niya ang pag-aaral ng Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) na nagsasabing hindi epektibo ang karaniwang feeding program dahil isang fortified meal lang ito kada araw sa loob ng 120 araw ng pasukan - at may halagang P15 lang bawat pagkain.

Si Cayetano ang unang pumasin sa isyu ng stunting sa EDCOM 2 hearing noong 2024. Ilang buwan matapos nito, naglaan ang Department of Budget and Management (DBM) at DepEd ng P1 bilyon para magtayo ng mahigit 300 daycare centers.

Para ma-institutionalize ang laban sa nasabing krisis, inihain ni Cayetano ang Anti-Stunting Action Plan (ASAP) Council Act of 2025, na layong bumuo ng isang high-level council para pamunuan ang isang whole-of-government at whole-of-society na solusyon kontra stunting.

"I say all of these with passion because I saw it before my eyes -- kung ano y'ung successful at kung ano y'ung dumudurog sa sistema," wika ni Cayetano.

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