Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Friday said the government’s K to 12 Basic Education Program failed to achieve its goals because it was never adequately funded or properly carried out.
In the latest episode of his vlog, Cayetano said the program began with a sound vision but stalled when the government failed to back it with the needed resources.
“Maganda ang intensyon, maganda ang K-12. Pero ang problema, hindi pinondohan nang husto ng gobyerno,” the senator said.
Cayetano recalled that he initially opposed the program when it was first introduced, warning that the government did not have the financial capacity to sustain it.
“I was saying we can’t afford it, but of course now na may flood control scandal, we can see nariyan ang pera. Ang problema, napupunta sa corruption,” he said.
He pointed out that chronic underfunding has left many public schools overcrowded, forcing them to implement shifting schedules that affect learning quality.
“Sa highly urbanized cities, more than 2,000 schools na ang two shifts. K-12 ka nga, half day ka naman,” he said.
Cayetano stressed that even the best education reforms cannot succeed without clear priorities and sufficient support.
“Ang ganda ng objective, pero hindi makafocus. Walang masamang proposal sa education, pero kung hindi fully funded, hindi maaabot ang target,” he added.
The senator urged the government to realign the K to 12 program toward measurable results, ensure that schools receive proper resources, and focus spending on improving learning outcomes.
He also emphasized that addressing corruption is key to fixing the country’s education system.
“Lahat naman ng pwedeng idagdag sa anti-corruption (drive) gagawin. Ang problema ay ‘yung values. Kailangan maging core value natin ang integrity at honesty,” Cayetano said.
According to him, true reform in education will only happen if integrity becomes a central value not just in governance but in all levels of society.