Senator Pangilinan files Last-Mile Schools Act for students in far-flung areas

Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan filed a bill seeking to institutionalize last-mile schools within the public basic education system.

Under Senate Bill No. 1842, it will require the Department of Education (DepEd) to implement policies responsive to the unique conditions of last-mile schools.

“Education should be within reach,” Pangilinan said. “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."

Under the proposed law, a school would be classified as a last-mile school if:

(1) it has fewer than four classrooms;

(2) uses makeshift or non-standard rooms;

(3) lacks or has irregular electricity, and

(4) has not received funds for new construction projects in the past four years, and

(5) the school must also be at least one hour from the nearest city or municipal center or located in difficult terrain, limiting access for learners.

The measure would also require DepEd to provide the necessary suppor to make education accessible to learners in remote areas.

Pangilinan proposed that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) construct and improve access roads leading to last-mile schools nationwide.

He said students and teachers in geographically isolated and disadvantaged communities must be able to travel safely to schools.

The bill also calls on the Department of Energy and the National Electrification Administration to install electricity, while the Department of Information and Communications Technology to implement communications and IT systems, among other initiatives.

A key feature of the bill is the creation of tailored programs for learners, intervention mechanisms, and school staffing standards.

“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," he added.

“By doing so, we are investing not only in infrastructure but in the future of our children,” he said.

-Paraluman News