From the outset, following his successful return to the Senate, Senator Bam Aquino immediately buckled down to work, taking on key issues such as education and transparency in the utilization of public funds.
Sen. Bam's efforts did not go unnoticed, as he was recognized as the most favorable senator in Publicus Asia’s Pahayag 2025 End-of-Year (PEOY-2025) survey.
He garnered a 54-percent net favorable rating in the nationwide poll conducted among 1,500 registered Filipino voters from December 7 to 10, 2025.
Sen. Bam was followed by Senators Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan (47 percent), Risa Hontiveros (46 percent), Bong Go (42 percent), and Rodante Marcoleta (38 percent).
The PEOY-2025 survey is an independent, non-commissioned, nationwide purposive sampling survey, with respondents randomly selected from the market research panel of the US-based PureSpectrum.
Publicus Asia was the only survey firm that accurately predicted Sen. Bam's second-place finish in the 2025 senatorial elections.
As chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Sen. Bam is actively pushing for concrete reforms with education at the center of his legislative agenda.
Sen. Bam's Senate Bill No. 1482, otherwise known as the Classroom-Building Acceleration Program (CAP), which aims to address the enormous 165,000-classroom backlog, is expected to pass on third and final reading next month.
Under the proposed measure, LGUs and NGOs with a proven track record will be authorized to construct classrooms using national government funds, in compliance with the Department of Education’s (DepEd) standards and guidelines.
As part of his push for transparency and accountability amid the massive flood control scandal, Sen. Bam's Citizen Access and Disclosure of Expenditures for National Accountability (CADENA) Act, also known as the Blockchain the Budget Bill, was approved by the Senate on third and final reading with a unanimous 17-0 vote, with no objections and no abstentions.
In addition, most of Sen. Bam's campaign promises have been fulfilled, including the allocation of P1.38 trillion for education, the largest in the country’s history.
The budget includes P67 billion for the implementation of Republic Act No. 10931, or the Free College Law which he authored, P68 billion for classroom construction, and P25.6 billion for the School-Based Feeding Program.
The bicameral conference committee also approved Sem. Bam's proposal for the addition of P500 million under the Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) of the Higher Education Development Program, specifically allotted for Financial Support for RLE Requirements in Allied Health Sciences Programs.
Allied health sciences programs include Nursing, Medical Technology/Medical Laboratory Science, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Respiratory Therapy, Radiologic Technology, Midwifery, Nutrition and Dietetics, Speech-Language Pathology, Human Biology/Pre-Med Allied Programs, Dentistry, Biochemistry, and Psychology.
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