EDCOM II tags Iloilo as reform pilot site, flags Western Visayas gaps

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

The final report of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), published on Jan. 26, highlights Iloilo as a key pilot site for education reforms, citing measurable learning gains from locally driven initiatives.

However, it also flags persistent gaps in early childhood care and alternative learning facilities across Western Visayas.

Titled “Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reform (2026–2035),” the report documents a proof-of-concept education reform program implemented in 11 pilot areas in Iloilo province by the Quezon City-based Synergeia Foundation, in partnership with EDCOM II.

The initiative focused on strengthening local school boards, expanding community participation, and devolving select education delivery functions to local governments.

According to the report, pre- and post-assessments showed significant learning gains among Grade 3 pupils in participating Iloilo schools.

Learners in experimental schools posted an average score of 88 percent, compared with 81 percent in control groups — a statistically significant improvement.

In the municipality of Pavia, reading performance rose from 67 percent to 82 percent, with gains observed across local government units regardless of income classification.

“The Iloilo case illustrates the importance of devolved, accountable, and participatory education governance,” the report said, noting that central schools posted stronger outcomes than non-central and integrated schools.

Beyond governance reform, the report places Iloilo within the broader education landscape of Western Visayas.

Data from the 2024 Annual Poverty Indicators Survey, cited in the report, showed that 337 barangays in Region VI lack child development centers.

This accounts for 9.77 percent of all barangays in the region and forms part of the more than 4,600 barangays nationwide without such facilities.

Despite these gaps, Western Visayas has relatively higher participation in early childhood care and development.

The region’s Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) participation rate among children aged 3 to 4 stands at 41.88 percent — higher than the national average of 29.12 percent.

Focus group discussions conducted by EDCOM II in Iloilo and Leyte revealed ongoing barriers to access.

These include limited daycare operating hours, typically just two to three hours per day, and logistical challenges such as travel time and transportation costs for working families.

The report also highlights a shortage of Alternative Learning System (ALS) infrastructure in the region.

Western Visayas is one of four regions with particularly low numbers of permanent Type 5 Community Learning Centers.

Type 5 Community Learning Centers are described as “a permanent building equipped with ALS and other learning materials, utilized by learners and other members of the community as a resource center where materials can be borrowed or used onsite.”

The EDCOM II final report consolidates three years of national and local research and outlines a 10-year National Education and Workforce Development Plan aimed at long-term reform.