The consolidated versions of House Bill No. 10142 and Senate Bill 2575 or the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Act was approved by the bicameral conference committee today, February 3. This comes at a critical time as recent findings from the Second Congressional Commission on Education’s (EDCOM 2) Year Two Report reveal that only 25% of Filipino children between the ages of 6–12 months meet the recommended energy intake, with rates alarmingly low among those from impoverished households.
Senate Bill 2575, co-authored by EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, introduces comprehensive measures to upgrade the quality of early childhood education. It proposes improvements in health, nutrition, and social service programs for children from birth to four years old.
“This measure is crucial for laying a strong foundation for the education of our young learners. The EDCOM 2 report revealed that many Filipino children younger than five years old are at a severe nutritional disadvantage and do not have access to ECCD programs. By strengthening programs on health, nutrition, and early childhood education, we can ensure that future generations of Filipino children will have a stronger foundation for a brighter future,” stated Senator Gatchalian.
On the counterpart House bill, co-authored by EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Representative Roman Romulo emphasized the importance of cohesive and integrated ECCD systems. “Our goal is to ensure that every Filipino child receives the best start in life through accessible, high-quality care, nutrition, and education. With such concerning statistics about our young children’s health, it’s clear that strengthening our early childhood care and development programs is more urgent than ever. Local governments should be at the forefront of this initiative, ensuring that the benefits of this law reach every child, especially those who need them most,” said Rep. Romulo.
The legislation mandates local government units (LGUs) to actively implement and monitor ECCD programs within their jurisdictions. This includes the setup of local ECCD offices, ensuring that programs are tailored to meet the specific needs of their communities and are aligned with national standards.
Additional provisions in the bill call for the establishment of a standardized ECCD system that integrates comprehensive child development principles and a unified information system to monitor and evaluate program efficacy nationwide.
Co-authored by EDCOM 2 Commissioners Senator Joel Villanueva, Senator Loren Legarda, and Rep. Mark Go, the bill will be sent to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for signing into law.
