Progress in education is usually seen in cities and suburbs, but what about the remote communities? Kinanao Pamalihi Elementary School is an indigenous people (IP) school dedicated for the Higaonon community in the municipality of Balingasag, province of Misamis Oriental. It has been the recipient of a program to reach out to even our far-flung communities.
As part of the efforts of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to provide education for all children, a school building was constructed for them through the government’s Last Mile Schools (LMS) program. This is an initiative implemented through the Department of Education (DepEd) to address the gaps in resources and facilities of schools in remote locations or geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDAs).
However, the LMS program does not merely build school buildings and classrooms. The program also installs solar panels in areas without electricity, secures school site ownership, deploys teachers to these learning centers, and provides learning materials.
Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara led the turnover of the new LMS building on October 11, 2024. The DepEd chief said, “The Last Mile Schools program is one of the priority programs of the Marcos Jr. administration as part of its efforts to provide quality education for all.”
Spreading the fruits of education
The DepEd presented the development and implementation of its Last Mile Schools program last July 22, 2019, in partnership with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
The DepEd identified schools that fit the definition of a Last Mile School site. These schools have a student population of less than 100 learners and are located in areas that are difficult to access, typically more than an hour away from town centers. They also do not have electricity and lack proper facilities. Lastly, they serve our IP communities or are located in conflict-affected areas.
The Last Mile Schools have 1.6 million students and half of them are in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, according to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).
A total of 73 LMS sites have been completed, with buildings, classrooms and facilities built across the country as of February 2023. Moreover, the construction in 152 sites are ongoing and in various stages of completion.
Array of Last Mile Schools
Some of these important schools are located in places that are difficult to access. They include the following:
-Kinanao Pamalihi Elementary School in Sitio Eva, Brgy. Samay, municipality of Balingasag in Misamis Oriental. The DepEd and DPWH constructed the LMS building in October 2024. The Higaonon IP, led by Tribal Leader Datu Kailingan Cesar Asapon, helps in overseeing this school.
-Burayukan Elementary School in Tabuk City, Kalinga. The new LMS building here was completed and inaugurated in December 2024. The school building highlights the collaboration among the DepEd, local government units (LGUs), and the community itself.
-Lacong Elementary School in San Gabriel, La Union. Three classrooms were constructed as part of the LMS program. The classrooms have solar power, water supply, perimeter fence, fixtures and furnishings. The Lacong ES LMS project, costing ₱17 million, was completed in January 2024.
-Lemkati Elementary School in Brgy. Laconon, T’boli, South Cotabato. A newly constructed three-classroom LMS building was completed and turned over to the local school administration and community in January 2024.
-San Miguelay Elementary School in the municipalty of Sta. Fe, Leyte. Two new classrooms with solar panels and worth ₱13.3 million were built. The two classrooms were completed and inaugurated in November 2023. San Miguelay Elementary School, which has 74 students from kindergarten to Grade 6, is kilometers away from the town center..
-Nangkatengey Elementary School in the municipality of Asipulo, Ifugao. A new six-classroom school building with facilities under the LMS program was recently completed in January 2025.
The DepEd also reported that 34 classrooms for the LMS program were built in 2024 in remote areas in the Cordillera Autonomous Region through its regional office (DepEd CAR). This nearly doubles the 18 classrooms built there in 2023. Many of these facilities are solar-powered and some have Starlink Wi-Fi, with a monthly budget of ₱300 per division. Moreover, DepEd CAR said will build dormitories, since the students and DepEd employees often travel for
hours to reach the school.
Aside from infrastructure, the DepEd also delivered tablets and laptops to Last Mile Schools in General Santos City and Sarangani in November 2024.
Expressions of appreciation
Jessie A., a teacher in an elementary school in Kalinga with a newly completed Last Mile School building, said, “I am happy that we have a new building. Now, the students feel good attending my classes because of this new building. Thank you very much DepEd and President Bongbong Marcos.”
Ricardo C., a parent of a student in Leyte, said that the new Last Mile School building in his son’s elementary school is a big help to them. “I am touched by the efforts of President Bongbong Marcos to provide our students with this comfortable place to study. Thank you, Mr. President! Thank you, DepEd!”
Riza, a student in La Union where a new LMS building was constructed and inaugurated, was elated. “Masarap pong magklase dito sa bagong Last Mile School building. Kumpleto na po sa gamit, merong kuryente, tubig, at iba pang mga kailangan namin. Maraming salamat po, PBBM at DepEd, pati po sa aming LGU.”
Boosting the program
This is a good record, and the Marcos Jr. administration through the DepEd is boosting the Last Mile Schools program and marshalling the support of other government agencies as well as the private sector.
In September 2024, DepEd and Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to repair classrooms in 12 Last Mile Schools in disaster-affected areas.
Secretary Angara and LBP President Lynette Ortiz led the signing ceremony, which outlines LBP’s commitment to fund the repairs with ₱500,000 per school during the two-year partnership. The LBP Leasing and Finance Corporation and the LBP Resources and Development Corp. also contributed an extra ₱1 million in funding and construction assistance.
Meanwhile, DepEd said the Aboitiz Foundation provided solar energy panels and internet connectivity to 11 Last Mile Schools in Aurora province. This highlights efforts to provide a sustainable solution to the energy and connectivity issues of schools in the remote areas.
Moreover, the DepEd signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on February 5, 2025 with the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to provide electricity to Last Mile Schools.
The DepEd said the MOA will provide electricity to LMS sites in the Bangsamoro Autonomnous Region in Muslim Mindanao, as well as in North Cotabato, Palawan, Cebu, Zamboanga del Sur, and Negros Oriental. This underscoring the importance given by the Marcos administration to light up the schools in off-grid areas.
President Marcos Jr. and DepEd are committed to boosting the Last Mile Schools program. The end goal is to provide the fruits of education to the remote communities of the country. You can never go wrong when you educate the young, who will grow into productive citizens useful not just to their families, but also their communities and the country.
