PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. yesterday pressed for the rehabilitation of school buildings built during the administration of his father, the late President Ferdinand E. Marcos, along with the school toilets to provide a safe and conducive learning environment for students.
The President led the inspection of ongoing repairs and preparations for the school opening on June 16 at the Barihan Elementary School in Malolos and the Tibagan Elementary School in San Miguel, both in Bulacan, during the launch yesterday of the five-day Brigada Eskwela 2025, which has the theme, “Sama-Sama Para sa Bayang Bumabasa.”
In an interview after the inspection in San Miguel, the President observed that many of the buildings in public schools that he visited are still the “Marcos-type” buildings, or those that were built 20 to 30 years ago under his father’s presidency.
The rooms are usually 7.5 by 6 meters in size, constructed using light steel frames, concrete hollow block walls, concrete flooring, and steel doors.
The President said that while he is pleased that the buildings are still usable, there is a need to further inspect and eventually rehabilitate the buildings to ensure their safety and sturdiness.
“Mabuti na lang at nagagamit pa. But we really have to look at the rehabilitation of many of them (It’s good that they are still usable. But we really have to look at the rehabilitation of many of them),” he said.
The President also cited the urgency of cleaning and ensuring the school toilets are functioning properly and have an ample and reliable water supply.
Marcos said he wants concerned agencies to look into the water supply issues in schools, which he said is essential to promote hygiene and cleanliness, the “most basic and most important thing that we have to do.”
“Ang problema sa mga pinupuntahan naming eskwela, walang tubig. Kaya iyun ang titingnan namin ng mabuti, kung saan dapat manggaling ‘yung tubig, bakit walang tubig at nagbabayad naman sila para sa kanilang water supply (The problem in the schools we visited is there is no water. That is what we are looking into, where the water should come from, why is there no water when the school is paying for the water supply),” he said.
“For me basic iyan, kasi pati ‘yung health ng bata natatamaan… nagkakasakit iyan kung hindi malinis ang mga pinupuntahan nilang mga bathroom. Kaya kawawa naman. So that’s one of the areas that we are really going to focus on. Just on the health and safety of the kids (For me, that’s basic, even the health of the kids is affected …they could get sick if they don’t have a clean bathroom. Poor thing. So that’s one of the areas that we are really going to focus on. Just on the health and safety of the kids),” he added.
The President said that overall, he was satisfied with the preparations for the resumption of school opening, with an estimated 27 million students expected to return to schools.
The opening of the school year in 2020 had been moved to August and mostly held online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Marcos said to improve the quality of basic education, and eventually address the teacher gap, the government had hired 20,000 new teachers apart from removing, if not reducing, the administrative duties of teachers to enable them to focus on teaching kids.
Of the newly hired teachers, the President met with 16 hired to teach in Malolos.
He also inspected four of the six classrooms of the one-storey Barihan Elementary School, which currently enrolls 314 kindergarten to grade VI students.
Ma. Nymfa Maturingan, who has been teaching at the Bahiran school for more than 30 years, said the school was initially built as an annex school in 1965 to accommodate grade 1 to 2 students.
School head Rose Ellen Ramos said they asked the President for help in acquiring additional land in order to build more classrooms and expand the school to accommodate more students.
Ramos said they are also thankful for the Marcos’ commitment to help improve the school toilet, especially in ensuring water supply.
They also welcomed the school’s internet connection via Starlink, along with the Department of Education’s (DepEd’s) donation of 22 tablets and one laptop that they can use to better teach the kids.
Presidential son Vincent Marcos, who accompanied the President, even showed one of the students how to use the tablets and connect them to the internet. He teased the child not to use it for Tiktok.
The President, Vincent and DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara also helped put up two blackboards in one of the classrooms after the Chief Executive visited and thanked some of the parents helping paint the armchairs and desks that would be used by the students. Also present was Communications Secretary Jay Ruiz.
In Tibagan, the President, accompanied by Vincet, Angara, Ruiz and Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Secretary Henry Rhoel Aguda, observed an orientation session for 20 students by Khan Academy — an online platform that provides free and high-quality educational resources.
He also interacted online with some of the teachers and parents who were participating in the Brigada Eskwela in other parts of the country.
WHY BULACAN?
Angara said the President chose Barihan Elementary School to witness the current state of public schools in the country.
“He really wanted to see the true state of our schools. And those schools where he can be of help. And we know, the President has not yet visited this school,” Angara said, adding the President wanted the internet to be installed in the school.
“The President ordered an internet connection for the school,” Angara said, adding the connection will be provided by Starlink.
Angara said additional classrooms will be constructed in the school to accommodate more students.
“Meron po tayong naka-progran dito sa classrooms,” Angara said, adding the local government is just finalizing the details on the lot where the additional infrastructure will be built.
Barihan ES has 345 learners, including 41 in kindergarten.
From Barihan, Marcos and Angara proceeded to the Tibagan Elementary School in San Miguel, also in Bulacan, where they visited a Khan Academy-empowered class and witnessed the installation of a brand-new Smart television for the use of learners.
RAINY SEASON
Despite the onset of the rainy season, Angara said schools are ready for next week’s opening of classes.
“It’s already rainy but not as strong compared to last year, when we opened the classes, nearly the entire Metro Manila, Cavite and Calabarzon were submerged in waters. It is also good that the President declared an earlier opening of classes this year,” Angara said.
The DepEd earlier announced that school year 2025-2026 will begin on June 16 and end on March 31, 2026, for a total of 197 school days.
The department noted, however, that this number may change based on unforeseen events and future directives.
CHALLENGES
Last week, Angara acknowledged that “traditional resource challenges” such as the classroom gap will still confront learners when classes resume.
Angara said the country’s basic education sector is facing a 165,000-classroom shortage, largely due to the growing population.
To help address the gap, Angara said the DepEd is working, through the Public-Private Partnership program first started by the Aquino administration, which had previously resulted in the construction of 12,000 to 15,000 classrooms nationwide.
But there are also bright spots, he added, including the construction of new classrooms, the hiring of 20,000 new teachers as well as 10,000 administrative personnel this year. – With Ashzel Hachero
