THE Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) has successfully delivered major early childhood reforms and set the stage for stronger ECCD implementation.
This is according to Tingog party-list Rep. Jude Acidre, chairperson of the House committee on higher and technical education,adding that it started in January 2023 as a hard reckoning and three years after the Philippine education system become a turning point.
Established under Republic Act No. 11899, the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) undertook one of the most extensive national assessments of Philippine education in history—an effort grounded not in abstraction, but in the lived realities of learners, families, teachers, and communities.
Its final report, “Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reform,” reflects the Commission’s conviction that education reform is not optional, but essential to national progress and survival.
“Through its research-driven and consultative approach, EDCOM II demonstrated how Congress could use its oversight power not merely to question but to understand, not merely to monitor but to improve. It modeled an approach where listening became the first act of leadership and learning became the foundation of lawmaking,” Acidre added.
Building on EDCOM II’s findings on stunting and early nutrition gaps, reforms were advanced to institutionalize a more coordinated national response. These include the filing of the proposed Anti-Stunting Action Plan (ASAP) Council Act of 2025 on July 10, 2025, which seeks to establish a strategic national roadmap for stunting reduction and prevention.
This direction was reinforced when President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr., on December 3, 2024, ordered the alignment of nutrition programs under the Department of Budget and Management’s Program Convergence Budgeting (PCB) framework, requiring key agencies to plan and fund interventions in a strategic and complementary manner.
Funding for the First 1,000 Days initiative increased sharply, expanding both nutrition-specific and nutrition-sensitive interventions nationwide. From P240 million in 2024, the budget rose nearly fivefold to P977 million in 2025, supporting comprehensive nutrition interventions in Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project sites.
Beyond nutrition, EDCOM II also focused on where early learning actually happens—within communities. Access to early childhood services expanded through increased investments in Child Development Centers (CDCs). The 2025 national budget allocated P1 billion to establish 238 CDCs in low-income local government units nationwide, including the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Additional funding for 2026 will support the conversion of existing day care centers to CDC standards, the hiring of Child Development Workers (CDWs), and the piloting of alternative delivery modes through the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council.
A major milestone was the passage of Republic Act No. 12199, or the ECCD System Act, in May 2025. The law included a provision to provide plantilla positions for all Child Development Workers and Teachers (CDTs), alongside funding for their professionalization and upskilling through the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
TESDA has committed substantial investments to strengthen early childhood care and development services nationwide, allocating P240 million in scholarship funding for 9,796 incumbent Child Development Workers (CDWs) to attain NC III certification in ECCD Services. An additional P80 million was earmarked under the 2025 General Appropriations Act, alongside P160 million from TESDA’s scholarship programs, ensuring sustained professional development support in the sector.
The ECCD System Act likewise strengthens support for lower-income local government units. Under the Local Government Support Fund, yearly appropriations must include a dedicated line item for the establishment of CDCs and the hiring of CDWs and CDTs, including other human resource needs, in fourth- and fifth-class municipalities. Under the 2026 budget, P2.46 billion was earmarked for the initial implementation of this provision.
The ECCD System Act also designates the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) as Co-Chair of the ECCD Council, ensuring stronger local government mobilization and more effective nationwide implementation—addressing the key challenge under Republic Act No. 10410, or the Early Years Act of 2013, which had previously included CHED and TESDA as members.
To address demand-side challenges, EDCOM II commissioned a Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) study titled “Beyond Parents and Guardians: Mapping and Mobilizing the ‘Significant Others’ in Early Childhood Care and Development in the Philippines.”
The study examined caregiving dynamics in Filipino households and highlighted the communal nature of childcare, showing how parents, siblings, grandparents, domestic helpers, and community workers all shape early childhood development.
The report recommends embedding ECCD competencies into TESDA’s caregiving and barangay health services training regulations to reflect this broader caregiving network—empowering “significant others” in Filipino households, ensuring early childhood programs are more inclusive and effective.
“Without continuity, even the best policies lose their momentum. That is why Congress must now build structures that sustain education reform beyond individual terms or transitions. Oversight must evolve from episodic inquiry into a sustained national discipline,” Acidre said.
Moving forward, EDCOM II will continue to prioritize legislation expanding feeding program coverage, closely monitor the rollout of the ECCD System Act, and push for sustained financing, improved learning resources, and stronger local implementation to ensure quality early learning for all Filipino children.
“As we look beyond EDCOM II, three courses of action must define the future of Philippine education: co-responsibility, collaboration, and community. These are not mere ideals; they are the foundation upon which the future of education must be built,” Acidre said.
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