Tell it to SunStar: The need for strong state support as Brigada Eskwela kicks off

By Teachers’ Dignity Coalition spokesman Jim Lester Beleno

As public schools across the country gear up for the start of Brigada Eskwela, we call for volunteerism and, at the same time, we reiterate that the responsibility for school infrastructure and operations ultimately rests with the government.

Brigada Eskwela highlights the bayanihan spirit of our communities, but let us not forget that school infrastructure, operations and maintenance are a state obligation, not a burden to be shouldered by private citizens, community members or teachers, even if voluntary.

While communities generously offer their time, skills and resources during Brigada Eskwela, this should not be a substitute for the government’s duty to ensure safe and fully functional learning environments.

We appreciate the volunteers who paint classrooms, clean school grounds and repair furniture, but we must ask, where is the consistent government funding for these essential tasks?

Despite the Department of Education’s call for “shared responsibility,” the chronic underfunding of the public school system forces schools to rely heavily on community goodwill just to prepare classrooms for the academic year.

We called on the National Government to increase allocations for school infrastructure, utilities, repairs and maintenance, and to ensure timely disbursement of funds to schools — particularly those in far-flung and underserved communities.

We urge Congress and the Department of Budget and Management to prioritize a greater state subsidy for our public school system.

Many public schools continue to face a backlog in classroom construction, deteriorating facilities, and a shortage of maintenance personnel — gaps that cannot be permanently filled by Brigada Eskwela alone.

Let us not romanticize the act of volunteerism to cover up structural deficiencies. Instead, let us build a system where public schools are adequately funded and teachers can focus on teaching, not soliciting donations or leading repair drives.

Brigada Eskwela 2025 is scheduled to run nationwide beginning Monday, June 9, with school communities, local governments, alumni groups, and the private sector expected to take part in preparatory clean-up and repair efforts ahead of class opening.

While supportive of the initiative’s communal spirit, we urge policymakers to take a long view.

We need more than paint and plywood — we need a government that invests in the future of every Filipino learner.