04/08/2025
Cayetano reignites debate over K to 12 program: Fund it Radically or abolish it entirely.
Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano has reignited the debate over the K to 12 program, urging the Senate to decide once and for all: either radically fund it with hundreds of billions or abolish it entirely.
During a recent plenary session, Cayetano argued that a decade of poor K to 12 implementation has only worsened the education crisis, leaving students with overcrowded classrooms and insufficient resources.
“The promise in K to 12, even in first year high school, junior high school, there's already a track… Another promise is that for the General Education (GE) subjects, we'll transfer that to high school so that the colleges are promised to be cut to three years,” the senator said on July 30, 2025.
“That is why I think the task of the 20th Congress is really the radical change that is needed in the education sector. Let’s make the hard decisions and put our money where our mouth is,” he added.
Since the introduction of K to 12 a decade ago, Cayetano has warned that the program would fail without addressing teacher shortages, lack of facilities, and funding gaps.
“The question is: would we rather have just grades 1-6 and years 1-4 for high school with all facilities complete or two more years with inadequate facilities? Adding two more years would further add to this burden and could trigger an increase in the number of dropouts,” he said in 2012 during the law’s deliberation with the late-senator Senator Edgardo Angara.
His prediction would be proven correct, with learning outcomes still lagging behind regional peers despite the extended curriculum.
This is why Cayetano is proposing a P200 billion to P500 billion annual investment—a fraction of the Department of Public Works and Highways’ P1 trillion budget—to finally deliver not just on K to 12’s promises but also resolve the systemic problems in basic education.
“The Department of Public Works and Highway’s budget is P1 trillion. Do you want to end the lack of classrooms in a year? If per classroom costs P1 million, that accounts to only P165 billion — almost half or two-thirds of the DPWH budget,” Cayetano said.
_*Online reactions: Parents weigh in*_
The livestreamed session sparked discussion among netizens, particularly parents whom voiced frustration over the program’s burdens.
“I agree with you Senator Cayetano. Sana po masolusyunan na ang grade 11 and 12 matanggal na. Dagdag gastos lang ito sa part ng mga magulang po,” one commented.
Another said, “Ang kulang sa atin ay ang facilities for specialized sa skills na i-develop nila. Dapat supportahan po ang school diyan.”
Some also wanted to return to the old curriculum.
“Taasan ang sahod ng public teacher at additional classroom nila. Dapat 40 students lang per room,” while another said, “Tanggalin niyo na Ang K12 at ibalik sa dating pamamaraan.”
These sentiments echo the concerns Cayetano raised: without substantial support, the K to 12 program remains a hollow reform that burdens students instead of empowering them.
“The solution is there but we have to be radical,” the senator urged his colleagues...
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