Privilege Speech of Senator Loren Legarda | Submission of EDCOM II Final Report and the National Education Plan | Senate of the Philippines | January 27, 2026

Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, partners in development, my fellow Filipinos:
Three years ago, we embarked on a journey to confront a crisis. Today, I stand before you to declare that we have reached a turning point.

I rise, alongside our colleagues Sen. Bam Aquino, Sen. Win Gatchalian, Sen. Joel Villanueva, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, to formally submit to the Senate the Commission’s Final Report, “Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reform,” and the National Education and Workforce Development Plan (NatPlan) 2026–2035.

While our diagnosis was unflinching, our conclusion is undeniably hopeful: The crisis in Philippine education, while deep, is neither inevitable nor irreversible.
We are not here today simply to catalog what is broken. We are here to present the proof that we have already begun to fix it. We are here to chart a future where the boundless potential of the Filipino learner is finally unleashed.

Mr. President, cynicism is easy, but progress—however hard-won—is undeniable. In just three years, through the unprecedented collaboration between the Executive and Legislative branches, we have achieved what many thought impossible.

We have proven that the system can move.

We have backed our vision with historic resources. For Fiscal Year 2026, we have secured a budget of Php 1.37 trillion for the education sector. This is the highest allocation in our history, finally reaching 4% of our GDP, inching closer to the global benchmark. We are no longer just talking about prioritizing education, we are funding it.

We have restored equity to our “free” education. We discovered that our Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) was drifting away from those who needed it most. We acted. Because of our interventions, the share of the poorest beneficiaries—those from 4Ps and Listahanan households—has surged from a low of 23% in 2022 to 61% in 2024. We are putting the “public” back in public service. We have delivered landmark legislation. We did not just study the problems; we legislated solutions. We have passed 10 landmark laws in record time.

Mr. President, as the Chair of the Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, I must highlight the specific findings that affect our tertiary and workforce development sectors.

For too long, our students have faced dead ends instead of open doors. We found a system rigid in its credentialing, where a skilled worker cannot easily transition to a college degree, and where a college graduate often lacks the job-ready skills demanded by industry.

We found that TESDA’s mandate has drifted. Created as an authority to oversee skills development, it has become overwhelmed by its expanded mandates since 1994 as well as with direct training provision—consuming 40% of its budget—while its devolution to local governments remains unfulfilled after 30 years. We found a scholarship system that, until recently, failed to target the poorest, with the bulk of funds supporting low-level qualifications rather than the higher-level skills our economy needs.

In Higher Education, we saw a Commission on Higher Education (CHED) burdened by an explosion of mandates—164 new laws giving it additional responsibilities, since its creation in 1994—transforming it from a policy-making body into a massive financial service provider. We saw a lack of strategic direction, where state universities and colleges expand programs without a unified national plan, with increasingly duplicated programs with local and private colleges and universities. Against this backdrop, 10 regions do not have a single provider of a program in pharmacy, 13 in dentistry, 2 in early childhood education, and 14 in speech pathology.

Meanwhile, in TVET, 14% of our trainees complete bread and pastrymaking and 15% in driving, as industry leaders lament the lack of well-trained workers in manufacturing, healthcare, and digital technology.

Mr. President, these are symptoms of an education system that for too long has not been responsive to the needs of our people.

However, Mr. President, this report is not a eulogy for our education system. It is a testament to resilience and the possibility of reform.

I am filled with optimism for the future of our workforce.

In the 19th Congress, we passed the Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Framework Act (RA 12063)— addressing many of the bottlenecks faced by the Dual Training System Act of 1994. This is a game-changer. We are opening the doors for industries to be co-authors of our curriculum, ensuring that training leads directly to jobs. We are creating a system where a diploma is a passport to employment, not a document of uncertainty.

Most recently, we have passed the Lifelong Learning Development Framework Act (RA 12313). We are building a country where education does not end at graduation. We are creating a system where a skilled worker can return to school, where a college dropout can gain certification, and where every Filipino can upskill and reskill throughout their lives.
We are also breaking down the silos. With the creation of the Education and Workforce Development Group (EWDG)— following the Joint Concurrent Resolution advocated by EDCOM and adopted by both houses, DepEd, CHED, and TESDA are finally sitting at the same table, planning with a single purpose. We are moving towards a seamless system where a student can climb from a National Certificate to a Master’s degree without hitting dead ends.

The document we submit today, the National Education and Workforce Development Plan for 2026 to 2035, is our covenant for the next decade.

It is a plan anchored on the belief that the Filipino talent is indisputable. Across the world, Filipinos thrive even in the most demanding environments. Imagine what our youth can achieve if their own country finally gives them the support they deserve. This Plan is not just a list of targets; it is a promise.

A promise that we will fix the foundations—ensuring every child is nourished and reading by Grade 3.

A promise that we will value our teachers—unburdening them from administrative tasks so they can do what they do best: teach.

A promise that we will align our training with the future—preparing our youth for high-value industries like healthcare, digital technology, and renewable energy.

Mr. President, we continue our work not with despair, but with a profound sense of possibility. The window for reform is open. The momentum is on our side.

But it is up to each one of us to respond to this call with urgency, fueled by our faith in the potential of our youth, as well as the responsibility of our generation to fix a broken education system so that they can fulfill their potential.

As we stated in our report: “We shall fashion the frailty of our circumstances into a ladder that allows us to climb great heights and usher the Filipino youth upwards”.

Let this Final Report be the map. Let the National Education and Workforce Development Plan be our compass. And let our collective political will be the engine that drives this nation forward.

The turning point is here. The future can be bright. And the best days of Philippine education are ahead of us— so long as we respond with urgency, discipline, and unity.

Thank you, Mr. President. I proudly submit the EDCOM II Final Report.