Tingog Party-list Representative and EDCOM 2 Commissioner Jude Acidre on Tuesday called attention to the worsening learning crisis in the country, urging stakeholders to act on the findings of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) during his keynote address at the Diocese of Cubao Educational System (DOCES) General Assembly, held at the Obispado de Cubao.
Acidre presented highlights from the EDCOM 2 Year 2 report, “Fixing the Foundation: A Matter of National Survival.”
“The title is strong. It has to be. Because that’s how serious things are,” Acidre said, emphasizing the urgency of reforms in early grade education.
“Foundational learning must be our top priority,” he stressed. “What happens when a child reaches Grade 4 and still cannot read well, or do basic arithmetic? What happens is this: the child continues through school, yes—but without real learning. Learning gaps become learning chasms.”
Acidre pointed out that the learning crisis affects both public and private institutions. “Even private schools face this. Even some of our Catholic schools, especially those serving low-income communities, are seeing declining learning outcomes.”
Among the central recommendations of the report is sustained investment in teacher development. “Teachers are the beating heart of the school,” he said. “But the truth is, our teachers are tired. Many are disillusioned. Some are struggling silently. What they need is not just more seminars or modules. They need real formation—personal, professional, and spiritual.”
He continued, “Let’s mentor the young teachers, uplift the burned-out ones, and form communities where teaching becomes a vocation again, not just a job.”
Acidre also emphasized the need to address educational inequality. “We cannot be okay with this,” he said, referring to the stark disparities in school conditions across the country.
On the role of private institutions, he affirmed, “Mahalagang parte ng sistema ng edukasyon sa bansa ang mga private schools,” and called for stronger collaboration between the public and private sectors to improve access and outcomes for all learners.
“A school is not just a building. It is a community—a village of support, guidance, encouragement, and growth,” he added.
As EDCOM 2 prepares to draft a long-term national education and workforce development plan, Acidre called on education stakeholders to be active partners in reform.
“Let’s work together: To uplift foundational learning, especially in the early years. To invest in the formation and flourishing of teachers. To bridge the gaps of inequality and exclusion. To provide holistic support for learners. And to embrace data and research as tools for mission, not mere metrics,” he said.
He ended his address by grounding the call for reform in a deeper purpose—one that goes beyond policy.
“Unless the Lord builds the house, the builders labor in vain,” he said, quoting Psalm 127. “Let us build, yes. Let us work, yes. Let us reform, yes. But let us never forget the foundation: God’s call, our mission, and our shared commitment to form generations who will not only succeed—but serve. Not only achieve—but love. Not only learn—but lead with faith.”
