FILIPINO children living in remote and underserved communities will soon have safer and easier access to schools following the enactment of Republic Act (RA) 12321, or the Last Mile and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) Schools Act, Sen. Bam Aquino said on Saturday.
Aquino, chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education and principal sponsor and co-author of the measure, welcomed the signing of the law by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. He described it as a major step toward ensuring that no child is deprived of education because of distance, poor infrastructure or lack of basic services.
The law is Aquino’s first enacted measure since his return to the Senate in 2025.
”The enactment of this is an important step to ensure that there will be no obstacles for every Filipino child to get an education, no matter where they are in the Philippines,” Aquino said.
”With this, we hope that situations where our students have to wade through rivers, walk several kilometers in the heat and cross dilapidated bridges before reaching school will end,” he added.
For years, students in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas have faced enormous challenges in accessing education, with some walking for hours, crossing rivers and mountains, or relying on unsafe modes of transportation just to attend classes.
The new law seeks to address these long-standing barriers by establishing accessibility standards for schools in last-mile communities. It mandates that schools should either be located within a 3-kilometer walking distance from learners or be accessible through safe public transportation.
RA 12321 requires the construction of adequate classrooms and institutionalizes interagency coordination to ensure that schools in remote areas have access to essential infrastructure and services, including roads, electricity, potable water and internet connectivity.
Aquino said improving school accessibility must go hand in hand with providing support for educators serving in far-flung communities.
Under the law, teachers assigned to GIDA and last-mile schools will receive additional compensation and allowances, transportation and housing assistance, and continuing professional development programs aimed at improving teacher retention and the quality of instruction.
”The law will help bring safe and quality education closer to children in far-flung areas while ensuring that teachers and local communities receive the support they need,” Aquino said.
The Last Mile and GIDA Schools Act complements the government’s efforts to address learning poverty and improve educational outcomes nationwide by prioritizing underserved communities that have historically lagged in access to basic education facilities and services.
JAVIER JOE ISMAEL
