A bill seeking to improve access to education in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA) is being pushed by Sen. Bam Aquino to help students reach schools in their communities more safely and easily.
Senate Bill No. 1937 aims to institutionalize government support for public basic education schools in GIDA by turning the government’s Last Mile Schools program into a permanent initiative through legislation.
“For the young people we want to help, it is actually the first mile. It is their first mile because this is their community and their barangay, and this is where they live. We want to remove the mindset that these areas are far from assistance, far from support, and far from funding, when in fact they should be the priority,” Aquino said Tuesday.
Aquino, who chairs the Senate Committee on Basic Education, said consultations revealed that many students in isolated communities endure difficult journeys just to attend school.
He cited widely shared videos showing children swimming across rivers, crossing damaged bridges, climbing mountains, or walking for hours before reaching their classrooms.
The proposed measure introduces several reforms to improve educational access in remote areas, including accessibility standards requiring schools to be within three kilometers walking distance from communities.
If geography makes that distance impossible, the bill requires the provision of safe and affordable transportation for students.
The measure also mandates the construction of adequate classrooms and stronger coordination among government agencies to ensure schools have access to electricity and internet connectivity.
Additional support would be provided to teachers assigned to remote areas, including hazard pay, transportation and hardship allowances, and housing assistance or staff accommodation.
“This measure is a critical step toward addressing our education crisis. Through this proposed law, we want to ensure that no Filipino child is left behind simply because of the distance of their home,” Aquino said.
“Life remains very difficult for students in remote areas. We only watch these situations, but they experience them every single day,” he said.
Aquino said challenges persist even after students reach school due to teacher shortages, damaged classrooms, and multigrade classes where students from different levels share a single room.
Students in these areas also face limited access to learning materials, feeding programs, and psychological support services, he added.
