President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is determined to give every Filipino child access to education, not just in the urban areas but most especially in conflict-inflicted and far-flung communities, or the “Last Mile Schools,” Malacañang said.
To achieve this, Marcos instructed the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) to hasten the repair and construction of classrooms and basic school facilities, especially in remote and insurgency-affected areas.
The President likewise ordered access to electricity and technology for these schools to facilitate modern teaching and learning processes, according to Presidential Communications Office and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro.
The “Last Mile Schools” refer to learning institutions in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs), where students often face extreme challenges due to a lack of electricity, water, internet access, and safe learning environments.
In his remarks during his visit to the Epifanio Delos Santos Elementary School in Malate on Monday, the President emphasized his administration’s commitment to serving underserved communities, particularly the improvement of internet connectivity in schools.
““We prioritize what we call GIDAs—those underserved and remote areas. It’s a good thing we now have technology that allows us to build a good system nationally,” President Marcos said.
He expressed concern over the low percentage of schools with internet access, noting that it currently stands at around 60 percent. “It’s very low. The real problem is electricity. That’s why we’re going to fix it. Little by little, we’ll see it reach 100 percent,” President Marcos said.
The Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) was tasked to expand internet coverage urgently.
