MANILA – A proposed measure seeking to institutionalize and secure sustained funding for last-mile schools is drawing renewed attention in the Senate, aimed at closing education access gaps in geographically isolated and disadvantaged communities.
Senator Francis Pangilinan on Monday said Senate Bill No. 1842, or the proposed Last Mile Schools Act, aims to integrate last-mile schools into the public basic education system under a permanent policy framework.
The proposal sets criteria for identifying last-mile schools, including those with fewer than four classrooms, makeshift or non-standard rooms, irregular or no electricity, and no funding for repairs or new construction in the past four years.
Schools located at least one hour away from a city or municipal center or situated in difficult terrain may also qualify.
Under the bill, the Department of Education would be mandated to develop tailored programs covering learning delivery, teacher deployment, staffing standards, learner support services, maintenance funding formulas, and performance monitoring.
To address infrastructure gaps, the measure directs inter-agency coordination, tasking the Department of Public Works and Highways to construct access roads, the Department of Energy and the National Electrification Administration to provide electricity, and the Department of Information and Communications Technology to install communications and IT systems.
“Education should be within reach. It is our responsibility, our obligation as lawmakers, to ensure that there are learning opportunities and established education systems for every Filipino learner, regardless of where they live,” Pangilinan said. (PNA)