Public schools in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas (GIDA) and other underserved communities are set to receive institutionalized government support under a new law establishing a nationwide framework to improve access to quality basic education through better infrastructure, learning resources, and teacher support.
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No. 12321, or the Last Mile and GIDA Schools Act, on July 22, creating the Last Mile and GIDA Schools Program under the Department of Education (DepEd) to address longstanding gaps in facilities, personnel, connectivity, and other essential education inputs in remote, isolated, and conflict-affected communities.
RA 12321 declares it a policy of the State to ensure that learners have reasonable geographic access to public basic education schools that meet national education standards while improving infrastructure and education services in underserved areas.
The law covers public schools in “remote, hard-to-reach, underserved, or economically disadvantaged communities where access to safe, adequate, and quality basic education is significantly constrained by limitations in infrastructure, resources, personnel, and prevailing social and environmental conditions.”
Moreover, schools serving communities affected by conflict, insecurity, or disaster vulnerability, as well as those where more than 75 percent of learners are Indigenous Peoples (IPs), may also qualify.
To guide planning and resource allocation, the DepEd is required to develop a National Last Mile and GIDA Schools Mapping System within one year from the law’s effectivity and update it at least once every three years.
The measure also requires the DepEd to adopt a national school accessibility standard, including ensuring access to a public school within a walkable distance of three kilometers where feasible.
“Where access is not feasible due to terrain, geography, or safety considerations, the DepEd and local government units (LGUs) concerned shall provide support services to learners through the provision of alternative delivery modes and transportation, respectively.”
The law also mandates coordination among government agencies to improve roads, transportation, electricity, internet connectivity, and other essential services for identified schools, while requiring school facilities to meet standards that are “safe, durable, accessible, climate- and disaster-resilient, and suitable to the geographic, cultural, and environmental conditions of the communities they serve.”
To address staffing challenges, the law provides teachers and non-teaching personnel assigned to Last Mile and GIDA schools with a comprehensive support package that includes additional compensation and allowances, housing support, professional development, and localized recruitment initiatives.
The measure likewise directs the DepEd to strengthen learner support services, develop context-responsive learning delivery systems, and monitor learner participation, retention, and learning outcomes. Schools established within ancestral domains must comply with RA 8371, or the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act of 1997, including Free Prior and Informed Consent requirements.
Funding for the program will be included in the annual General Appropriations Act, while the implementing rules and regulations must be issued within 90 days from the law’s effectivity.
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