Privilege Speech of Senator Legarda | Strengthening the Foundations: The K to 3 Foundational Learning and Nurturing Care Act | February 25, 2026

Mr. President, distinguished colleagues.

Article XIV , Section 1 of the 1987 Constitution declares: “The State shall protect and promote the right of all citizens to quality education at all levels and shall take appropriate steps to make such education accessible to all. “Section 2 further mandates the State to “establish, maintain, and support a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education relevant to the needs of the people and society.”

These constitutional provisions define how a Republic worthy of its people must treat every child. They establish binding obligations on the State to ensure that every Filipino child has access to quality education from the very beginning of life and learning. When the Constitution affirms quality and accessible education, it tells us that no child, no home, no child development center or classroom in any barangay, in any region may be treated as expendable. Republic Act No. 9155, the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001, emphasizes the State’s responsibility to provide basic education that is accessible, relevant, and of quality. Republic Act No. 10533, the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013, institutionalized the K–12 system to improve learning outcomes. Yet despite these frameworks, the crisis in foundational learning persists.

The findings of EDCOM II indicate a stark reality: nearly half of our learners are unable to read at grade level by the end of Grade 3. Literacy is the gateway to numeracy and to every other subject in the curriculum. When students fall behind in the early years, they face mounting difficulties in grasping more complex lessons in higher grades, and many never fully catch up.

This statistic has become a common concern in homes and communities. There are stories of children who move from one grade level to the next yet still cannot read their own modules or follow written instructions without help. There are young people who receive passing grades but struggle to fill out a simple form or even understand a medicine label. The gap between schooling and real learning shows up in everyday life.

That is why I filed Senate Bill No. 1853, the K to 3 Foundational Learning and Nurturing Care Act. The measure directly responds to the urgent need to strengthen literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional development during the critical years of Kindergarten to Grade 3, so that no child is left behind at the very start of their educational journey and early deficits do not turn into lifelong disadvantages.

Mr. President, if we truly want to solve the learning crisis, we must commit to a strong 0–8 continuum—starting from the prenatal period and the first days of life, through the transitions from home to child development centers, from child development centers to Kindergarten, and from Kindergarten to Grade 3. Each transition is a risk point where children can fall through the cracks: when health,nutrition, and responsive caregiving are not sustained; when early stimulation and language exposure are weak; when screening and early intervention are delayed; and when the early grades do not build steadily on what children have already gained.

The proposed Act elevates K–3 foundational learning to a whole-of-government and whole-of-community concern. It calls for convergence—so health, nutrition, child protection, local governments, communities, and schools move in one direction to secure every child’s readiness to learn and ability to thrive.

We have made progress in Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) through Republic Act No. 10410, the Early Years Act of 2013, and Republic Act No. 12199, the Early Childhood Care and Development System Act. These laws strengthen integrated health, nutrition, early learning, and protection, and they anchor the country’s commitment to nurturing care in the earliest years. But gains in ECCD must be protected by what happens next—because the promise of early childhood is fulfilled only when children arrive in the early grades ready to learn and are then taught in ways that secure foundational skills.

This is where the K to 3 Foundational Learning and Nurturing Care Act intervenes. It strengthens the bridge from early childhood to primary—where children must secure the foundations that will support all later stages. Literacy, numeracy, and self-regulation are the bedrock for all future learning. Alongside academic competencies, socio-emotional learning and values formation must be deliberately taught and practiced, so children grow not only in skill, but also in character. Kung mahina ang pundasyon, guguho ang buong gusali. Ganoon din sa edukasyon—kung mahina ang pundasyon sa kaalaman, kasanayan, at paghubog ng pagkatao, mahihirapan ang bata sa mas mataas na antas ng pag-aaral at sa kanyang pamumuhay.

The bill adopts a balanced, prevention-first approach to ensure that children acquire strong foundations early, reducing the need for costly remediation later. It also requires clear, transparent tracking of K–3 outcomes—so we know, school by school and community by community, whether children are learning, and we can intervene early when they are not. It prioritizes high-quality instruction in Kindergarten to Grade 3 that is language-rich, numeracy-rich, and developmentally appropriate—integrated with socio-emotional learning, values formation, and early identification of learning needs.

Socio-emotional learning equips children with the skills to recognize and manage emotions, show empathy, build positive relationships, make responsible decisions, and navigate challenges. Values formation grounds these skills in what we stand for as a people—respect, responsibility, honesty, compassion, and love of country. These are essential competencies for life, for citizenship, and for nation-building.

Strengthening learners also means strengthening teachers. No education reform can succeed if our teachers lack the preparation, support, or recognition they need. The proposed Act mandates stronger teacher preparation, assignment, coaching, and mentoring, especially for the early grades. Section 7 of the proposed measure directs DepEd, CHED, and PRC to develop specialization pathways for early-grade teachers; to strengthen in-service professional development, coaching, and mentoring; to facilitate merit-based assignment of teachers to early grades; and to provide training in Early Language, Literacy, and Numeracy (ELLN), socio-emotional learning, values formation,
transitions, and early intervention.

Teachers are more than transmitters of knowledge; they help children discover their abilities, confront their fears, and form their first understanding of community and nation. They are the architects of hope, the stewards of dreams, and the guardians of our children’s future. Kung matatag ang guro, matatag ang bata. Kung matatag ang bata, matatag ang bayan. Investing in our teachers, especially those in Kindergarten to Grade 3, is investing in the strength and stability of our Republic.

Mr. President, because learning and values are first formed at home, ang pagkatuto ay hindi nagsisimula sa paaralan—nagsisimula ito sa tahanan. Parents and caregivers are a child’s first teachers, shaping early language, habits, and values. Kaya mahalaga ang matibay na ugnayan ng paaralan at tahanan—so families and teachers reinforce one another in building skill and character.

By placing the 0–8 continuum at the heart of policy—protecting ECCD gains, strengthening transitions, and securing K–3 foundations—we can set learners on a trajectory toward lifelong success. This measure is a comprehensive commitment to nurture the whole child: mind, heart, and character, and to equip our teachers with the means to fulfill that commitment.

Mr. President, distinguished colleagues, the K to 3 Foundational Learning and Nurturing Care Act is our collective response to our learning crisis. It is a pledge to parents who dream of a brighter future where their children can compete fairly, to teachers who carry the daily burden of large classes and limited resources, and to every Filipino who believes that the nation’s progress rests on the strength of its learners.

Education is not a privilege—it is a right. Ang karapatan sa edukasyon ay nagsisimula sa kakayahang bumasa, umunawa, at matuto, at sa paghubog ng puso at asal. When we invest in foundational learning
and nurturing care today, we widen opportunities for our children and strengthen the country’s prospects for tomorrow.

Let us act with urgency. Let us act with resolve. We cannot allow this crisis to persist. We cannot allow another generation to be lost. Every year of delay means more children reach higher grades carrying gaps that could have been prevented in their earliest years. The learning crisis already affects productivity, employability, and social cohesion; addressing it at its roots is a matter of justice and national interest.

Mr. President, colleagues, when we teach a child to read and count, we open the door to knowledge, participation, opportunities, and informed decision making; when we nurture a child’s heart and values, we open the door to compassion, discipline, and responsible citizenship; and when we strengthen our teachers, we open the door to a nation that can truly rise on the strength of an educated, confident, and principled people.

Ito ang ating panata: walang batang maiiwan, walang pangarap na mapababayaan, at walang kinabukasan na mawawala. Sa pagpapatibay ng pundasyon ng edukasyon, pinatitibay natin ang kinabukasan ng sambayanang Pilipino.

Thank you, Mr. President.