Cayetano: Abolish K-12, make new local gov’t code, rural dev’t plan

MANILA, Philippines – In his Kontra State of the Nation Address (Sona) speech on Tuesday, Senate minority leader Alan Peter Cayetano sought reforms President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. did not cover in his Sona the day prior.

Addressing education, Cayetano sought to abolish the K-12 curriculum, citing the Second Congressional Commission on Education’s data that knowledge retained by students in the 13 year program deflates to 7.5 years only.

“Let’s eliminate one or two years of senior high because K-10, where a child studies for ten years and is more fully equipped, is better than K-12, but our child only attends for 7.5 years,” he said in Filipino.

He pointed out that changes in the education system may not be enough if the environment lessens the effectiveness of schooling.

“No matter how much the curriculum changes, no matter how many gadgets are added, no matter how much modern equipment is added, no matter how much our teachers’ salaries increase, if the classrooms are full and the classes are half-day and they are only 7.5 years old, it’s like we’re K-8, we’re still lacking,” Cayetano, speaking Filipino, stressed.

READ: What Marcos addressed and missed in his 2026 Sona 

Cayetano also touched base on governance, stating the need for a new local government code.

“Let’s take a second look at having a new local government code, giving more decentralization… There are system changes that can help our country. But it won’t happen if we have a problem with democracy,” he said.

He continued: “I will push the envelope, because Senator [Robin] Padilla is looking at me, and he has a strong ally – his ally is Dr. Jose Rizal – who said that federalism is what the Philippines should be.”

Padilla is a vocal advocate for a Federalist form of government.

READ: Sona full of ‘sana’: Rights advocates ‘disappointed’ with Marcos 

Furthermore, Cayetano sought out a rural development program, comparing the condition of rural areas in other countries to those in the Philippines.

“We know around the world that people who live in rural areas have better manners. They have a greater sense of community, a sense of camaraderie. They care more about each other. But our countrymen have been forced to live in rural areas,” the senator said.

“Go to certain parts of France, of UK, even the US, Canada: Rural, but there is electricity, water, a hospital, a school, internet. Not for us… When you go to the rural areas, it is difficult. The problem is, what is difficult in the rural areas, when you go to the urban areas, it is still difficult. Life is more comfortable but it is still difficult. So Mr. President, we should have a real rural development project,” he suggested.

Apart from those, Cayetano also demanded the government to fund and start the establishment of the Mindanao Railway System, as well as to address the harms of vaping against the youth. /jpv