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EDCOM II submits Year Two Report; Gatchalian wants learners’ foundation strengthened

Following the release of the Second Congressional Commission on Education’s (EDCOM II) Year Two Report, Senator Win Gatchalian pressed the need to strengthen learners’ foundation to improve their performance and address the crisis in the education sector.

Gatchalian, EDCOM II Co-Chairperson, emphasized the importance of prioritizing children’s nutrition during the first 1,000 days, early childhood education, and literacy by Grade 3.

The EDCOM II’s Year Two Report titled “Fixing the Foundations” highlights the vulnerability of Filipino children during their formative years. The report found that only 25% of Filipino children, particularly 6 to 12-month-old infants, meet the recommended energy intake. The commission’s report also pointed out that one in four Filipino children under 5 years old is stunted.

The lack of access to child development centers (CDCs) is one of the reasons families do not enroll their children in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) programs. Despite the mandate of the Barangay-Level Total Development and Protection of Children Act (Republic Act 6972) to construct a daycare center in every barangay, there are still no CDCs in 5,822 barangays. 

According to Gatchalian, the enactment of the Early Childhood Care and Development Act (Senate Bill No. 2575) will help address these issues on ECCD. The measure seeks to achieve universal ECCD access to all children below five years old by expanding the application of the National ECCD System to all cities, municipalities, and provinces.

The commission also flagged that far too many students enter Grade 4 with skills equivalent to Grade 2 or 3. The EDCOM report cited a forthcoming UNICEF study, which found that prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Filipino students exiting Grade 3 were a year behind in terms of literacy. Because of the pandemic, the gap widened to three years. 

Gatchalian cited the need to effectively roll out the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, a learning recovery intervention created under the ARAL Program Act (Republic Act No. 12028). 

“All of these findings point to a clear and singular message: we must act to fix the foundations of our education system. It is imperative that as we face an avalanche of concerns, we sift through the list and prioritize those that are foundational for our students,” said Gatchalian.

Photo by Mark Cayabyab/OS WIN GATCHALIAN