Sponsorship Speech of Senator Legarda | SBN-1483: Extending the Duration of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II)

Mr. President, esteemed colleagues,

I rise to sponsor Senate Bill No. 1483, under Committee Report No. 7, which seeks to extend the duration of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, or EDCOM II, thereby amending Republic Act No. 11899. 

EDCOM II was established in 2022 to undertake a comprehensive national assessment of our education system and to recommend structural reforms that would strengthen its quality, equity, and responsiveness to national needs. There is no doubt that the Commission has carried out this mandate in a manner that honors the intent of Congress.

Its principal reports, Miseducation: The Failed System of Philippine Education and Fixing the Foundations: A Matter of National Survival, offer the most rigorous, data-informed diagnosis of our education sector in recent memory. These studies describe persistent and systemic deficiencies that require sustained national attention, including critically low early childhood program participation, a classroom backlog of 165,000 units, chronic textbook shortages, widespread stunting and undernutrition among our youngest learners, and high attrition rates in higher education.

Crucially, the significance of EDCOM II lies not only in its diagnosis but also in how it has acted on those findings. The Commission brought together national agencies, local governments, schools, research institutions, and civil society partners to translate evidence into reform. Its work has informed legislation, guided appropriations, strengthened administrative coordination, and established pathways for institutional development.

In the 19th Congress, the work of EDCOM II contributed directly to the passage of ten (10) landmark laws that expanded access, promoted equity, and improved quality across our education system. 

While its mandate under RA 11899 concludes in December 2025, EDCOM II has not entered a period of winding down. Instead, it continues to move with full momentum, compelled by the understanding that while much has been achieved, significant work remains to build the education system our people deserve.

Currently, the Commission is developing several measures, including those identified as priority bills under the Legislative – Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC) for the 20th Congress. These include:

1. Amendments to the Masustansyang Pagkain Para sa Batang Pilipino Act, to expand and sustain the national feeding program;
2. Amendments to the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education Act, to broaden voucher coverage to students from Kindergarten to Grade 6;
3. Amendments to the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act, to guarantee Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) eligibility to students who need it most;
4. Amendments to the Teachers Professionalization Act, to introduce practical components in licensure pathways and open multiple routes to teacher qualification;
5. Amendments to the Local Government Code on Special Education Fund, to align SEF utilization with current education needs and strengthen local education governance; and
6. Classroom Building Acceleration Program bill, championed by my EDCOM II Co-Chairperson Senator Bam Aquino, to close the classroom gap and ensure adequate learning spaces nationwide.

Informed by the work of EDCOM II, I am also honored to advance measures that address systemic gaps across basic, higher, technical, and vocational education— including the Last Mile Schools bill and the modernization of the decades-old charters of CHED and TESDA—to ensure that our institutions are aligned with the needs of learners today.

Beyond legislation, EDCOM II’s research has translated directly into program funding. Its recommendations on early childhood development resulted in an allocation of 1 Billion pesos in the 2025 General Appropriations Act for the establishment of Child Development Centers in 328 low-income local government units, and 80 Million pesos in scholarship support for the professional development of child development workers.

The Commission also identified longstanding misalignment in professional education and licensure policies across CHED, TESDA, and the Professional Regulation Commission. This finding led to the creation of a Tripartite Council last month to harmonize curricula, training regulations, and licensure standards under a coherent national framework.

Further, the Commission conducted hearings on education delivery in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, which underscored the need to clarify the respective responsibilities of national agencies and the regional government in implementing essential education and nutrition programs. Policy recommendations to strengthen coordination are now being refined.

EDCOM II also served as a convenor, bringing together DepEd, CHED, and TESDA in a historic first joint meeting to address system-wide reforms. As noted by TESDA Director General Jose Francisco Benitez, the Commission’s evidence-based work encouraged agencies to move beyond their “own little silos” and work toward a more integrated education system. 

Undoubtedly, EDCOM II was the driving force behind the establishment of the Education and Workforce Development Group through Administrative Order No. 36, directly addressing the fragmentation identified in the Commission’s Year One Report and affirmed by the Concurrent Resolution passed by the Senate and adopted by the House of Representatives.

This effective translation of research into reform is precisely what makes the role of EDCOM II indispensable. It has functioned both as a think tank and as a coordinating body—building trust and consensus among diverse stakeholders, including agencies, teachers, parents, and policymakers.

To ground its recommendations, EDCOM II has commissioned 97 research studies, partnered with 91 organizations, conducted 44 workshops and consultations, 32 hearings, 9 site visits, and 3 benchmarking missions. This work was made possible through the dedication of its Secretariat led by Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee and supported by its Advisory Council, under the leadership of those who served as Commissioners from both chambers of Congress, including this representation, together with Senators Win Gatchalian, Joel Villanueva, Alan Peter Cayetano, Pia Cayetano, Chiz Escudero, and Bam Aquino—as well as former Senators Sonny Angara and Koko Pimentel, who served during the 19th Congress.

While EDCOM II is on track to submit its Final Report and the National Education and Workforce Development Plan as it completes its three-year mandate, the sustained implementation of its policy recommendations requires continued oversight. The task before us is to ensure that reforms are fully institutionalized.

This need for continuity was affirmed by our key education agencies—DepEd, CHED, and TESDA—during the hearing of the Committee on Higher, Technical, and Vocational Education on October 8, 2025, where they expressed clear support for extending the duration of EDCOM II.

For these reasons, I respectfully submit for the consideration of this august chamber, Senate Bill No. 1483, extending the duration of the EDCOM II for an additional two (2) years, or until December 2027. This will provide the necessary time to complete the remaining legislative measures and to ensure the institutionalization of coherent and lasting reform across the system.

We are at a moment when progress is within reach. The work has direction. The coordination is in place. The momentum is real. It is only right that we see it through.

Thank you, Mr. President.