Education leaders push local coalitions at EDSUM26

ILOILO CITY — Education leaders called for the formation of Local Education Coalitions to unite local governments, schools, universities, and community stakeholders in addressing persistent education problems through locally driven reforms.

The proposal emerged as a key outcome of the second day of the Education Summit 2026, or EDSUM26, where University of the Philippines Visayas Chancellor Clement C. Camposano and Second Congressional Commission on Education Executive Director Karol Mark R. Yee emphasized the need for stronger collaboration at the local level.

The proposed coalitions would bring together local government units, or LGUs, schools, state universities and colleges, private higher education institutions, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to plan and sustain education programs suited to local conditions.

The proposal was developed during a couch talk and open forum in Iloilo City following plenary presentations by Camposano, UP System Faculty Regent Early Sol A. Gadong, and Yee.

UP Visayas Master of Education Alumni Association officers Herman M. Lagon and Alexander J. Balsomo moderated the discussion.

The dialogue gathered national education leaders, local government officials, educators, researchers, and school administrators to discuss how national reforms could be translated into concrete programs in communities.

Building on his keynote address, “Teaching Citizenship: Where We Got It Wrong,” Camposano said schools cannot resolve the country’s education challenges on their own.

He identified poverty, nutrition, child development, health, and civic participation as interconnected concerns that require coordinated action beyond the education sector.

Camposano proposed that Local Education Coalitions deliberately convene LGUs, schools, higher education institutions, civil society groups, and other stakeholders to jointly design, implement, and sustain reforms responsive to local realities.

Yee backed the proposal, saying national policy recommendations must be supported by local ownership and long-term cooperation to produce meaningful educational change.

EDCOM II develops national policy directions based on research and evidence, but Yee said the success of education reforms ultimately depends on implementation within communities.

He said education should not be treated solely as the responsibility of the Department of Education or higher education institutions.

Instead, Yee said communities, local governments, academic institutions, and development partners must share responsibility for improving learning outcomes and educational services.

During the dialogue, Yee pointed to Iloilo province as evidence that local governments can serve as strong drivers of education reform.

He cited the province’s continuing investments in literacy, education governance, and learner development as examples of how collaboration between local leaders and education institutions can strengthen public education services.

Iloilo Provincial Administrator Raul N. Banias joined the discussion with representatives of the Provincial Government of Iloilo and the Provincial Education Management Office.

Banias discussed the province’s continuing literacy and education governance programs under Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr.

He identified the Provincial Education Management Office as one of the mechanisms supporting the implementation and continuity of education reforms across Iloilo.

Gadong supported the direction of the discussion and emphasized the need to move beyond disconnected or institution-specific programs.

She said meaningful educational transformation requires shared leadership rooted in teacher agency, reflective practice, creativity, and collective responsibility.

Gadong also said collaboration strengthens the ability of schools, teachers, and communities to respond to increasingly complex educational conditions.

Organizers said the proposed Local Education Coalitions received a strongly positive response from delegates representing state universities and colleges, private higher education institutions, Department of Education schools, LGUs, and education organizations across Western Visayas.

Participants expressed hope that discussions initiated during EDSUM26 would lead to collaborative programs in their provinces, cities, and municipalities.

Such programs could allow education leaders to address common problems across institutional and administrative boundaries.

Lagon, president of the UP Visayas Master of Education Alumni Association, described the discussion as one of the summit’s most significant accomplishments.

He said national policies provide a framework for reform, but meaningful and sustainable change occurs when LGUs, schools, state universities and colleges, higher education institutions, and education leaders work together on locally appropriate solutions.

Lagon described a Local Education Coalition as a practical mechanism for improving education governance through shared leadership and sustained partnerships.

He said the proposed coalitions would complement rather than compete with national education initiatives.

The policy discussions were followed by concurrent research sessions featuring 24 peer-reviewed studies presented across three parallel tracks.

The tracks were “Culture as Enabler of Transformative Learning,” “Pre- and In-Service Teaching and Learning and Educational Leadership,” and “Didactics and Innovative Teaching and Learning Materials.”

Researchers from universities, colleges, and schools across Western Visayas presented studies on culture-based education, educational leadership, licensure examination performance, game-based learning, artificial intelligence in education, and contextualized instructional materials.

Other studies covered mathematics education, science literacy, ethnomathematics, robotics, disaster communication, teacher development, and other emerging areas of educational research.

The research sessions sought to connect policy discussions with classroom innovations and research-informed teaching practices.

Earlier in the morning, Yee presented EDCOM II’s findings on foundational literacy, teacher development, governance, nutrition, curriculum quality, and lifelong learning.

Drawing from the commission’s report, “Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reform,” Yee said the country’s education problems had accumulated over several decades and could not be corrected through short-term interventions.

He called for sustained and evidence-informed reforms that would continue beyond changes in political leadership.

Yee emphasized the need to improve foundational learning, reduce teachers’ administrative workload, strengthen early childhood development, and maintain continuity in education policies.

EDCOM II’s final report supports the National Education and Workforce Development Plan for 2026–2035, a proposed long-term framework intended to coordinate reforms across basic education, higher education, and technical-vocational training.

The commission said the final report was based on 95 research studies and three years of national assessment and policy analysis.

EDSUM26 was organized by the UP Visayas Master of Education Alumni Association in partnership with the UP Visayas Division of Professional Education and the Mathematics Teachers Association of the Philippines–Iloilo Chapter, or MTAP-Iloilo Chapter.

The summit carried the theme “Reimagining Philippine Education: Equity, Innovation, and Transformative Learning.”

It brought together 120 educators, researchers, school leaders, policymakers, graduate students, and education advocates representing more than 40 institutions.

Organizers said the gathering was intended to bridge education policy, academic research, and classroom practice.

The summit opened July 24 with the Educational Game Conference, or GAMECON.

GAMECON featured plenary lectures, seminar-workshops, research presentations, and demonstrations on game-based learning, creativity, culturally responsive pedagogy, educational innovation, and intellectual property.

Resource speakers included Dominique Maquiran, Donnie Jone P. Sodusta, Jonny B. Pornel, Randy M. Madrid, Herman M. Lagon, Freddie Ardales, Stephen John Arellano, Naci John Trance, and other educators from partner institutions.

The conference set the stage for two days of scholarly exchange and professional collaboration among the participants.

As EDSUM26 concluded, organizers said they hoped the summit would become more than a professional development event and serve as a starting point for stronger partnerships between educational institutions and local governments.

Initial participant evaluations showed high satisfaction with the summit’s quality, relevance, and collaborative environment, according to the organizers.

Many participants recommended making EDSUM a regular platform where educators, researchers, policymakers, and local leaders could develop partnerships and advance research-informed, locally responsive, and transformative education in Western Visayas and other parts of the country.