Classroom shortages, bullying flagged as classes resume

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian raised concerns over persistent classroom shortages in urban areas, as well as the growing number of bullying incidents in schools, as the country begins a new academic year.

He said the government must expand funding for classroom construction under the upcoming national budget, but emphasized that improving the “absorptive capacity” of agencies is equally important.

“The construction of classrooms should be swift. Before, it has taken two, three years to build classrooms. The term of the sitting president has lapsed before the classrooms are built. This is one of the things we are fixing now,” he told dzBB yesterday.

Aside from infrastructure woes, the senator said he also intends to ramp up efforts to address bullying and mental health issues, especially among senior high school students.

“We will be doing caravans. Personally, I see rising incidences of bullying in schools. Mental health is one of the issues in senior high school,” he said.

Gatchalian said these upcoming initiatives will aim to better equip parents and communities in dealing with the twin concerns.

Classes for school year 2025-2026 officially open on Monday, June 16, with 27.6 million students expected nationwide. — Based on reports from The STAR