Sen. Loren Legarda —Photo from her office
MANILA, Philippines — Beyond vision, improving education calls for sustained, decisive action, particularly substantial increases in funding.
Sen. Loren Legarda stressed this point at the launching at the Senate last Tuesday of the Year 2 Report Edcom II — the Second Congressional Commission on Education, of which she is a commissioner.
The report is titled “Fixing the Foundations: A Matter of National Survival.”
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“Today is about a vision — one that is deliberate, informed, and firmly centered on the Filipino learner,” the four-term senator said.
“The launch of Edcom II’s Year Two Report marks the culmination of rigorous study and insightful analyses by the Commission and various stakeholders to uncover the realities of our education system and design a transformative roadmap that secures a future for every Filipino child, defined by opportunity, equity, and excellence in education.”
“Where do the cracks in our foundation lie, and how can we strengthen it, not merely to stand firm, but to bear the weight of our children’s biggest and boldest dreams?” Legarda added.
She emphasized the importance of education as the base upon which innovation, peace, justice, and sustainable development could be built.
The report reveals urgent gaps in the education system:
- Only 25 percent of Filipino children meet the recommended energy intake between ages 6 and 12 months.
- There are deficiencies in foundational competencies emerging as early as Grade 3
- Up to 50 percent of the school year is lost due to disruptions such as natural disasters
- 55 percent of public schools lack fully designated school principals.
The report also calls for a fundamental shift in priorities to address these challenges, focusing on early childhood education and nutrition to build critical competencies while ensuring that schools have skilled leadership, sufficient personnel, adequate classrooms, and essential resources.
“Today, we shift our focus to solutions. We must ensure that the recommendations in this report do not remain ink on paper but translate into real, lasting change and are driven by collective action. Every sector, from government to private partners, from educators to household members, must play a role in shaping a stronger education system for all,” Legarda said.
She emphasized that education reform requires a multisectoral approach, calling for unified and strategic action from government agencies, local government units, the private sector, international partners, civil society organizations, indigenous communities, and community-based organizations.
In this way, they could build an inclusive and equitable education system, recognizing that strengthening disaster preparedness, public health, workforce development, cultural preservation, poverty reduction, and peacebuilding is essential to ensuring effective and sustainable learning for all.
To learn more about the findings and recommendations of the EDCOM II Year 2 Report, visit this link: edcom2.gov.ph.