EDCOM II gets extension, reforms need speed

Sen. Loren Legarda welcomed the enactment of Republic Act No. 12315, which extends the term of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, or EDCOM II, for two more years.

Legarda, the author and principal sponsor of the law, said the extension secures the commission’s mandate to continue diagnosing systemic failures in Philippine education while pushing for reforms with greater urgency.

“As EDCOM II continues its work, we must be deliberate in strengthening our education system,” the four-term senator said.

“We will close the gaps, reinforce our institutions, and deliver the changes our learners and educators truly deserve.”

EDCOM II was created under Republic Act No. 11899 in 2022 as a national body tasked with examining long-standing problems in the country’s education sector and recommending reforms.

Since then, the commission has released major reports that, according to Legarda, have exposed urgent realities in Philippine schools.

Its latest report, Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reform (2026–2035), urged the education sector to pursue strategic and targeted interventions.

Among the report’s findings, nearly half of Grade 3 learners cannot read at grade level.

It also found that 88 percent of Grade 7 learners were not grade-ready in reading.

Less than 1 percent of Grade 12 students, meanwhile, reached the proficient level, the report said.

The report also cited weak foundational learning as one of the system’s most pressing problems.

It further flagged chronic underinvestment in education and fragmented governance.

EDCOM II also pointed to deep inequities between urban and rural schools.

The commission said curricula remain misaligned with high-growth industries such as advanced manufacturing, tourism and information and communications technology, leaving graduates unprepared for labor market demands.

To address these gaps, EDCOM II recommended reforms in early literacy and numeracy.

It also pushed for stronger teacher support systems and targeted investments in last-mile schools.

The commission likewise called for streamlined governance to help ensure reforms survive political transitions.

Legarda, who co-chairs EDCOM II as head of the Senate Committee on Higher, Technical and Vocational Education, said the findings require immediate action.

“The evidence tells us exactly where the system is failing,” she said.

“We will make sure every reform we advance is evidence-based, targeted, and built to last.”

Legarda said she has authored several measures aligned with EDCOM II’s recommendations.

These include SBN-1412, or the Last Mile Schools Act.

She also cited SBN-1894, which seeks to amend the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act to strengthen the efficiency, equity and accountability of the Tertiary Education Subsidy Program.

Also among the measures is SBN-1427, or the Higher Education Development and Innovation Act.

Legarda also named SBN-1413, or the TESDA Modernization Act, among other bills.

The two-year extension gives EDCOM II more time to translate its findings into legislative and policy reforms as the country continues to confront poor learning outcomes, uneven school conditions and longstanding structural weaknesses in basic, technical and higher education.