PASAY CITY—The Senate Committee on Basic Education launched its first public hearing of 2026 on Tuesday, January 21, 2026 wasting no time in targeting critical reforms for the country’s schools. 

Following a historic spike in the national education budget, Senate Committee on Basic Education Chairperson Senator Bam Aquino and other lawmakers met with top officials and stakeholders from the education sector to ensure every peso translates into better classroom results. 

The session signaled a shift toward aggressive oversight, with senators demanding clear timelines for improving student performance and modernizing aging infrastructure across the archipelago.

Legislators focused on three key pillars: fixing the Senior High School (SHS) Voucher Program, sharpening the national curriculum, and securing permanent funding for "last-mile" schools in the most remote areas. 

By addressing implementation gaps that have previously stalled progress, the committee aims to bridge the divide between urban centers and rural classrooms.

This legislative push marks a high-stakes effort to modernize the Philippine education system and provide students with the competitive edge needed for the evolving global economy.

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