House Speaker Faustino Dy III on Friday lauded Filipino teachers as the “pillars of society” and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to accelerate classroom construction nationwide to strengthen the quality of education.
Dy delivered the message as guest of honor during the 21st Founding Anniversary of the Schools Division Office of Cauayan City on March 13, where educators and stakeholders gathered to mark more than two decades of service to the local education sector.
Addressing teachers at the event, Dy expressed gratitude for their role in shaping the country’s youth.
“Everytime na meron akong opportunity na makaharap ang ating mga guro, gusto ko laging magpasalamat sa inyo dahil kayo ang haligi ng ating lipunan na dahil po sa inyo nagiging maayos, matatag ang ating mga kabataan,” he said.
He stressed that building the nation’s future requires collective effort from teachers, parents, and the broader community.
“Hindi lamang ito laban ng ating mga guro kundi laban nating lahat. Merong tungkulin ang ating mga guro at meron ding tungkulin ang ating mga magulang, ang ating mga mamamayan. Kaya tayo po ay magtulungan para matiyak natin at masiguro natin na maganda ang kinabukasan ng ating mga kabataan,” Dy added.
The Speaker highlighted ongoing national efforts to address classroom shortages, noting stronger coordination between the national government and local government units.
He said LGUs have been empowered to work with the Department of Education under Education Secretary Sonny Angara in implementing the classroom-building program of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
“Napakagandang programa po nito para masunod ang bilang ng classrooms sa bilang ng ating mga kabataan,” Dy said, adding that adequate facilities would allow teachers to focus on developing students’ abilities.
His remarks came as the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture recently approved the proposed Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP), a measure aimed at speeding up the construction, repair, and upgrading of public school classrooms nationwide.
The proposal seeks to mobilize resources from the national government, local government units, and the private sector, with the Department of Education serving as the lead implementing agency. It also calls for the creation of a national school congestion mapping system to identify schools with severe classroom shortages and prioritize new construction.
Lawmakers said the initiative reflects a whole-of-nation approach to addressing the classroom backlog and ensuring that teachers—whom Dy described as the “pillars of society”—have the facilities needed to support Filipino learners.