SEN. Francis Pangilinan filed Senate Bill (SB) 1842, or the proposed Last Mile Schools Act, to institutionalize last-mile schools in the public education system.
SB 1842 mandates the Department of Education (DepEd) to provide support, including infrastructure, to ensure that education remains accessible to learners in far-flung areas.
Under the bill, a last-mile school has fewer than four classrooms, has makeshift or non-standard rooms, lacks or has irregular electricity, and has not received funds for new construction projects in the last four years.
"It must also be at least one hour from the center of a city or municipality, or be in difficult terrain, to be accessible to learners," the measure read.
"Education should be within reach. By doing so, we are investing not only in infrastructure but in the future of our children,” Pangilinan said in a statement on Monday.
“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.
The bill directs the development of tailored approaches to learning delivery, teacher deployment, infrastructure standards, learner support services, and performance monitoring.
Pangilinan proposed that the Department of Public Works and Highways construct and improve access roads leading to last-mile schools nationwide.
The senator sought safer, faster and more reliable access to education for students and teachers in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas.
