The Senate of the Philippines, approved on Third Reading Senate Bill No. 2960 or the Lifelong Learning Development Framework (LLDF) bill, a bill that institutionalizes lifelong learning as a national strategy to equip Filipinos with skills and knowledge for a rapidly changing world.
Authored and sponsored by EDCOM 2 Commissioner Senator Joel Villanueva, along with EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, and Commissioner Senator Alan Cayetano, the bill aims to expand access to education beyond traditional classrooms by establishing systems that support a person’s continuous learning. It is one of the priority measures of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).
“Mr. President, this bill is more than just a policy. It is a mindset. A recognition that education does not—and should not—end after formal schooling,” Villanueva said in his sponsorship speech.
“Education should be continuous, flexible, and inclusive—whether through formal institutions, community centers, or work-based settings. The LLDF institutionalizes this vision, opening up more dynamic pathways for upskilling and reskilling—benefiting not just students, but also early school leavers, workers, entrepreneurs, and even our senior citizens who still want to learn,” he added.
The bill comes on the heels of the Philippine Statistics Authority’s FLEMMS 2024 statement that high school graduates who lack functional literacy total 6.45 million in 2024. The functional literacy rate among tertiary education graduates, on the other hand, is at 84.2%, thus the remaining 15.8% of college graduates still struggle with comprehension.
The LLDF Bill strengthens the Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) by expanding its National Coordinating Council to include the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). This ensures a more integrated, inter-agency approach to delivering and recognizing learning opportunities across sectors.
The bill also introduces the concept of “Learning Cities” and “Learning Municipalities,” designating local government units that actively promote and support community-based learning. These LGUs will be eligible for additional support and funding for learning programs, digital tools, training centers, and adult literacy initiatives.
EDCOM 2’s Year Two report revealed a lack of national structure to support lifelong learning and credential recognition. It also highlighted that millions of Filipinos, despite finishing high school, remain functionally illiterate or lack access to further training.
“Learning must be lifelong and life-wide,” Villanueva stressed, adding that this bill will enable Filipinos to keep pace with AI, automation, and the demands of the modern economy.
With its passage in the Senate, the measure now awaits its counterpart measure in the House of Representatives.
