Cayetano: Drastic and radical steps needed to address education woes
Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday said the country must take “drastic and radical” steps to address gaps in the education system, stressing that the future of Filipino children depends on delivering the quality education they were promised.
“We’re talking about our children’s future, our country’s future. So we have to do something drastic and radical,” Cayetano said in a Facebook livestream on October 6, 2026.
Cayetano made the call as he marked International Teachers’ Day, saying honoring educators should go beyond appreciation and lead to concrete improvements in the country’s education system.
He said this means addressing the lack of classrooms and other resources that continue to affect the implementation of the K to 12 program, particularly in public schools.
“When we passed that law, pinangako na it will always be fully funded, but it was really never fully funded,” he said.
He also pointed to the gap between the K to 12 system as designed and the actual amount of schooling many Filipino students receive because of limited school facilities.
“To the rest of the world, K to 12 tayo. But in reality, double, triple shift po y’ung marami nating estudyante. In highly urbanized areas, ang dami ng kulang sa schools at pagkatapos, ang mangyayari pa, half day ka lang,” he said.
The senator said the government should work toward restoring full-day classes while keeping classroom sizes manageable. This would give teachers more time to focus on their students, prepare lessons and attend to their families.
Cayetano cited programs in the City of Taguig that provide financial assistance to students who choose to remain in private schools, along with initiatives supporting feeding and digital learning.
But he said if the government does not have enough resources to fully implement the current K to 12 program, it should be willing to reconsider its approach.
“Dapat iatras natin, K to 11 or K to 10 muna habang we don’t have the resources,” he said.
Cayetano said honoring Filipino teachers should ultimately mean giving them the support they need to do their jobs well.
“Ang daming napakagaling na tao na sobra ang contribution sa ating buong educational system. One day [of honoring them] is not enough. One week is not enough,” Cayetano said.
Filipino Version
Cayetano: Agaran at radikal na hakbang kailangan para tugunan ang krisis sa edukasyon
Iginiit ni Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano nitong Miyerkules na kailangan ng “drastic and radical steps” para matugunan ang mga problema sa sistema ng edukasyon dahil nakasalalay dito ang kinabukasan ng mga batang Pilipino.
“We’re talking about our children’s future, our country’s future. So we have to do something drastic and radical,” wika ni Cayetano sa kanyang Facebook Live nitong October 6, 2026.
Ginawa ni Cayetano ang panawagan kasabay ng paggunita sa International Teachers’ Day. Aniya, hindi dapat nauuwi sa simpleng pagbati at pagkilala lamang ang pagpapahalaga sa mga guro.
Sa halip, dapat itong mauwi sa konkretong pagbabago sa sistema ng edukasyon, kabilang ang pagtugon sa kakulangan sa mga silid-aralan at iba pang resources na kailangan para maipatupad nang maayos ang K to 12 program, lalo na sa mga pampublikong paaralan.
“When we passed that law, pinangako na it will always be fully funded, but it was really never fully funded,” wika niya.
Itinuro rin ni Cayetano ang malaking agwat sa pagitan ng disenyo ng K to 12 program at ng aktwal na oras na naiuukol ng maraming estudyante sa pag-aaral dahil sa kakulangan ng mga pasilidad sa paaralan.
“To the rest of the world, K to 12 tayo. But in reality, double, triple shift po y’ung marami nating estudyante. In highly urbanized areas, ang dami ng kulang sa schools at pagkatapos, ang mangyayari pa, half day ka lang,” sabi ni Cayetano.
Ayon sa senador, dapat pagsikapan ng pamahalaan na maibalik ang full-day classes habang pinananatili sa manageable level ang bilang ng mga estudyante sa bawat classroom.
Sa ganitong paraan, mas magkakaroon ng oras ang mga guro para tutukan ang kanilang mga estudyante, maghanda ng mga aralin at makapaglaan din ng panahon para sa kanilang pamilya.
Binanggit ni Cayetano ang mga programa sa Taguig City na nagbibigay ng financial assistance sa mga estudyanteng pinipiling manatili sa private schools, gayundin ang mga programa para sa feeding at digital learning.
Gayunman, sinabi niyang kung hindi sapat ang resources ng gobyerno para lubusang maipatupad ang kasalukuyang K to 12 program, dapat ding maging bukas ang pamahalaan sa muling pagtingin sa sistema.
“Dapat iatras natin, K to 11 or K to 10 muna habang we don’t have the resources,” wika niya.
Para kay Cayetano, ang tunay na pagkilala sa mga guro ay nangangahulugang pagbibigay sa kanila ng sapat na suporta at resources para magampanan nila nang maayos ang kanilang tungkulin.
“Ang daming napakagaling na tao na sobra ang contribution sa ating buong educational system. One day [of honoring them] is not enough. One week is not enough,” sabi ng senador
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