Actor John Arcilla took to social media on Monday, May 12, to share an observation as he cast his vote for the 2025 midterm elections.
He shared photos showing worn-out student desks from inside a classroom-turned-waiting area at his polling precinct.
“So nandito ako sa loob ng isang classroom na ginawang WAITING ROOM sa MAHABANG PILA para bumoto at ganito ang lamesa ng mga estudiyante sa loob ng classroom,” Arcilla captioned his post.
The actor then questioned the state of education in the country and asked: “Asan ang budget sa edukasyon?”
The actor then called on fellow Filipinos to reflect on the visible effects of poor leadership and encouraged them to vote wisely.
“Tapos boboto tayo ng mga corrupt eh nakaharap mismo satin ang EBIDENSIYA NG MGA MALI NATING PAGPILI? Ano na mga kababayan? AYUSIN NAMAN NATIN ANG PAGBOTO KAHIT LAST MINUTE,” he also wrote.
The actor did not disclose the location of his polling precinct.
Arcilla’s post has resonated widely online, racking up over 2,400 shares, 5,600 reactions, and 215 comments as of posting.
Many Filipinos echoed the actor’s sentiment, expressing frustration over the dilapidated school desks and facility and linking them to long-standing issues of corruption and poor governance.
“Di ba nahihiya mga current officials diyan? Pagboto nila today ganyan ang sitwasyon ng barangay school nila….Samantala sila panay pasok sa bulsa, kakapal nman oi,” a Facebook user commented.
“Sir, [you’re] on point. Nakaka-disappoint talaga. Tapos 18.4M aged 10 to 64 functional illiterate. Ayaw nila ng matalinong botante,” another said, referring to the data from the Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS).
The report said that “approximately 18 million Filipinos who are graduates from the country’s basic education system could be functionally illiterate.”
Others also questioned where the budget for public schools is going, pointing to the state of the classroom as a visible sign of systemic neglect.
“Baka noong binili yan ang mahal ng patong. Tapos ganyan lang madaling masira. Ang taas ng tax na binabayaran ng mga mamamayan e hindi man lang mabigyan ng dekalidad na facilities ang mga estudyante pero may CF (confidential funds) pa na ibinigay dati… anyare sa sinasabi nilang maghahango sa mga Pilipino kaya dapat straight ang iboto?” a Facebook user wrote.
“Yung may problem diyan is local, saan napupunta yung binibigay sa kanila?” an online user asked.
“Opo, ganyan nga po. Marami pong mas malala pa diyan. Sayang talaga ang pondo para sa edukasyon,” another said.
Some commenters pointed out that the situation is not new, saying the poor state of public school facilities has been a recurring issue during past elections.
“Kanina pinagmamasdan ko din ang classroom kung saan kami bumoto, sabi ko 30 years ago halos ganito lang din itsura ng mga classrooms namin sa Public schools, hanggang ngayon ganito pa rin,” a Facebook user commented.
An online user also noticed that politicians are unaware of the sorry state of school facilities.
“Pumunta lang naman yang mga politiko na yan sa mga public school pag araw ng botohan kaya wala silang alam sa tunay na sitwasyon,” an online user pointed out.
Around 68 million Filipinos are expected to mark their ballots today, May 12, to elect leaders for more than 18,000 national and local positions across the country.
