Alden Richards highlights education crisis in new documentary: ‘Kawawa ang kabataan’

As he headlines a new documentary, Alden Richards called for urgent action to address the country’s education crisis, saying Filipino children deserve better learning conditions.

“Education in the Philippines needs urgent attention, kawawa ang kabataan. Sobra. Kilos tayo,” Richards wrote on his Instagram Story on Wednesday, Aug. 5, as he shared a photo of himself with a young student from the teaser of “Rebuilding Broken Rooms.”

The documentary, which airs on Aug. 8, follows Richards as he visits schools across the country to examine the worsening learning crisis in the Philippines.

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According to the documentary’s producers, the special highlights findings from the World Bank’s 2022 report, which said 91 percent of Filipino 10-year-olds struggle to read and understand simple text.

“Gusto kong magamit ’yung boses na meron ako para maipalaganap ’yung mensahe na kailangan marinig ng sambayanan. Gusto ko maging part nung advocacy para mamulat natin ’yung mga tao sa kung ano ba talaga ’yung sitwasyon ngayon,” Richards said in a statement.

The actor also shared that the project holds personal meaning for him, recalling how he left school at a young age to help support his family. He has since supported nearly 50 scholars and helped build schools in underserved communities.

The documentary features several schools facing learning and infrastructure challenges, including Tinungkaan Elementary School in Alabel, Sarangani, where students reportedly cross rivers and climb mountains to attend classes.

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Another featured school is Rosauro Almario Elementary School in Tondo, Manila, where many students continue to struggle with reading comprehension. It also looks at schools in Cavite that have resorted to makeshift classrooms because of classroom shortages.

The documentary comes amid Vice President Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial before the Senate. The Department of Education (DepEd), of which she served as concurrent secretary, allocated P112.5 million in confidential funds under the Office of the Vice President (OVP) in 2023.

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During Tuesday’s hearing, a Commission on Audit auditor said the OVP and the DepEd failed to submit documents supporting the liquidation of the funds, which constitutes prima facie evidence that the missing funds were used for the officer’s personal benefit. /ra