By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA, Philippines — Public school teachers assigned to the country’s most isolated and underserved communities have welcomed the enactment of the Last Mile and Geographically Isolated and Disadvantaged Areas (GIDA) Schools Act, describing the new law as a long-awaited breakthrough that promises sustained government support for schools long burdened by inadequate facilities, scarce learning resources and limited public services.
Signed into law as Republic Act No. 12321, the measure institutionalizes permanent government assistance for public schools located in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas, ensuring continuing funding for infrastructure, learning facilities and other essential educational needs.
Educators stationed in coastal and far-flung communities said the legislation provides hope that decades of neglect will finally be addressed through a stable and predictable support system instead of relying on annual budget allocations.
Maria Victoria Pinto, a teacher at the City of Malolos Integrated School–Babatnin in Bulacan, said the law offers assurance that schools serving disadvantaged communities will no longer be left behind whenever government priorities shift.
She said teachers in remote areas have long struggled with inadequate classrooms, limited instructional materials and insufficient facilities, forcing many educators to spend their own money to meet the basic needs of their students. With the law now in place, she expressed hope that government assistance would become continuous rather than dependent on yearly appropriations.
Another educator, Erwin Cabigao, who grew up in a coastal barangay in Malolos and has served communities where children trek through muddy roads and swollen rivers just to attend classes, said the legislation finally recognizes the hardships endured by both teachers and learners assigned to isolated areas.
Cabigao noted that many teachers have shouldered personal expenses for school supplies while working under difficult conditions with little institutional support. He described the new law as recognition that children in remote villages deserve the same quality of education and government investment as students in urban centers.
Despite welcoming the measure, Cabigao emphasized that the real test lies in its implementation. He said the law’s objectives must be translated into concrete improvements on the ground, including better school buildings, safer access roads, adequate teacher accommodations and reliable educational facilities.
The law seeks to strengthen government intervention in schools located in geographically isolated and disadvantaged communities by institutionalizing funding for infrastructure development, learning resources, teacher support and other essential services aimed at improving access to quality public education.
Meanwhile, the Philippine National Police (PNP) pledged to reinforce security around schools covered by the law. PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. directed police units nationwide to intensify patrol operations and community policing activities in GIDA communities to help ensure the safety of students, teachers and school personnel.
Working with the Department of Education, local government units and community stakeholders, the PNP said it aims to provide a secure learning environment where children can pursue their education without security threats while teachers carry out their responsibilities with greater confidence.
Government officials expressed optimism that the combined implementation of the new law and strengthened security measures will narrow the long-standing education gap between urban centers and the country’s most remote communities, ensuring that geography will no longer dictate the quality of education Filipino children receive.
ia/xf
