Romualdez: P1-B daycare fund marks gov’t all-out support to education
House Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez. Inquirer file photo.
MANILA, Philippines — House of Representatives Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez said on Thursday that the provision for a P1 billion fund to create more daycare centers is proof of the current administration’s well-rounded approach to improving the state of education in the country.
Romualdez, in a statement, said that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s decision to allocate P1 billion to the construction of Child Development Centers (CDCs) in 328 low-income local government units would bode well for students’ early learning.
According to Romualdez, the government cannot focus only on high school or college students, as education for many students starts at the daycare or primary level.
“We cannot just set our sights on senior high school or college scholarships only. We also need to focus on the roots of education — at the early development years. It is at this level that changes start,” he said in Filipino.
‘Wide-ranging reforms’
“We still have a lot to fix with our education system, but this is the start of wide-ranging reforms. And with the President leading the way, rest assured the lower House will help him every step of the way,” the Speaker said.
In a statement last March 4, the Presidential Communications Office said that early childhood development proponents sought to allocate P700 million in the next three years so that low-income barangays would have access to daycare centers.
READ: Marcos approves fund request for child development centers
On April 3, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced that they would fund the establishment of over 300 CDCs in accordance with the law requiring municipalities to have daycare centers.
READ: Gov’t to fund 300 new daycare centers in underserved areas in the country
Romualdez said Marcos’ leadership echoes his message of leaving no one behind. Similarly, the Speaker praised the strong collaboration between the House and the Senate, as key solutions were formulated through the e Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).
‘President’s message is clear’
“This is the kind of leadership that brings real hope to Filipino families—simple, direct, and focused on results. The message of our President is clear: No Filipino child should be left behind,” Romualdez said.
“We have no other goal but to help the President. Wherever there may be a need, we allocate funding there. If the problem is about the lack of facilities for children aged zero to four, we respond to that,” he added.
Funding of the daycare centers will be made available through the Local Government Support Fund under the 2025 national budget. According to Romualdez, they in the House support the initiative as they have worked closely with both DepEd and DBM to make sure that the necessary funding was included in the budget.
“If children learn early, the benefit would not only be for them. Their entire family’s status would improve, and the entire country as well. We have one goal here: education that is accessible to all,” he noted.
