EDCOM 2 Communications

On December 30, 2024, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. approved the PhP 6.326 trillion General Appropriations Act, emphasizing significant national investment in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD). This allocation strategically supports the dual objectives of enhancing ECCD programs by upgrading the skills of Child Development Workers (CDWs) and establishing more Child Development Centers (CDCs) in…

Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) Commissioner Senator Loren Legarda filed Senate Bill No. 2905 yesterday, December 17. The bill seeks to amend RA 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, to address the issues surrounding the implementation of the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) program. Findings from EDCOM 2, showed a…

Two measures from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) passed their respective hurdles in the legislative process today, December 16, 2024.   Department of Education Secretary Sonny Angara formally signed the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of the Republic Act 12028, known as the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Law, aimed at…

Senate Bill No. 2575, aimed at further strengthening the Early Childhood Care and Development System of the country, passed on second reading at the Senate today, December 9, 2024. The bill is sponsored by Senator Win Gatchalian, Chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, and Co-Chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM…

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on December 9, 2024 signed into law Republic Act 12080 or the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act. The law institutionalizes comprehensive mental health initiatives for basic education institutions, aiming to foster awareness, prevention, and support for the well-being of students. RA 12080 mandates the development of school-based…

EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Senator Win Gatchalian expressed frustration over the prolonged delays in implementing Republic Act No. 11650, also known as the Inclusive Education Act. “The law was signed on March 11, 2022, and the IRR was signed on July 18, 2024. It took two years to craft the IRR, and now that it is…

“Meron po kaming 2,150 learners from Grades 1-6, and only 6 classrooms”. Holding back tears, Principal Liezl Raymundo, of Ciudad Nuevo Elementary School in Naic, Cavite, shared her experience during the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2)’s hearing on housing developments and school congestion.  The November 21 hearing revealed the alarming situation faced by…

During the Senate deliberations on the 2025 budget for the State Universities and Colleges (SUCs), EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Senator Sherwin Gatchalian emphasized the concerning effects of the recent UniFAST Memorandum Circular 5, series of 2023, which reduced the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) from originally PhP 60,000 to PhP 20,000 for grantees enrolled in private higher…

10,018 public schools have no localized anti-bullying policy despite being required by Republic Act 10627, passed in 2013. This is according to Department of Education officials during a House of Representatives Committee on Basic Education hearing today, November 13. The hearing, presided over by Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) Co-Chairperson Rep. Roman Romulo,…

Commissioners of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) advocated for an NC III certification program in Early Childhood Education under the 2025 TESDA budget, aimed at upskilling Child Development Workers (CDWs), formerly known as daycare workers. The proposal will target 25%, or 2,854, of the 11,414 CDWs with only high school diplomas across…