Manila, Feb. 23 -- The House Committee on Basic Education and Culture on Monday approved three priority reform measures, marking a significant step toward addressing the country's deepening education crisis.

Together, the measures confront three interconnected challenges: the severe classroom backlog, declining learning outcomes and structural weaknesses in the Senior High School system.

Foremost among the approved bills is the proposed Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP) Act (House Bill 5577), which institutionalizes a mechanism allowing local government units (LGUs) and private sector entities to construct classrooms in coordination with the Department of Education (DepEd).

According to the Second Congressional Commission o...