Official Website of Philippine Senator Pia Cayetano

Tag: DPWH

  • Cayetano urges action on growing classroom gap

    Cayetano urges action on growing classroom gap

    Finance Senior Vice Chairperson Senator Pia S. Cayetano pressed for urgent action to close the country’s classroom gap during the hearing on the proposed 2026 budget of the Department of Education. She cited the P400 billion needed to build enough classrooms, emphasizing the importance of efficient budget use, stronger DepEd–DPWH coordination, and LGU support for minor repairs to make more facilities usable.

    She also highlighted the need to support school sports clubs, align higher education programs to produce needed professionals, embed digital wellness and mental health in lessons, and sustain feeding and reading initiatives. Cayetano stressed the importance of preparing students with the 4 Cs: critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity. Finally, she urged her fellow Senators to safeguard education funds at every stage of the budget process.

  • Cayetano: Align policy goals with resources

    Cayetano: Align policy goals with resources

    Senator Pia S. Cayetano urged government’s finance and economic managers to align policy goals with resources that truly improve people’s lives during the Development Budget Coordination Committee briefing at the Senate. Drawing from her experience as Vice Chair of Finance for seven years, she pushed for stricter discipline in budgeting and clearer priorities across sectors.

    Cayetano stressed the need for consistent standards and stronger absorptive capacity in agencies so projects are actually delivered. She cited, for example, the budget for classroom construction – lodged under the Department of Education but implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways – as well as the attrition of college students given the decrease in the Tertiary Education Subsidy of the Commission on Higher Education.