UNICEF: EDCOM reforms could save kids’ learning

UNICEF Philippines commended the release of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM2) Final Report, “Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reforms (2026-2035), calling it a “critical guide” on reforms required to ensure quality education for all children.

The report, which is a culmination of three years of rigorous national assessment, presents a comprehensive diagnosis of bottlenecks in service delivery, governance, teacher support, and system accountability that have contributed to the persistent learning crisis among children in the Philippines.

Many of the report’s priority recommendations reflect mounting evidence from the Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics 2024 study, which showed that while learners in the Philippines demonstrated modest improvements since 2019, only a small share have reached higher proficiency levels in reading, writing, and mathematics.

“UNICEF is proud to have supported EDCOM2 over the past three years in uncovering bottlenecks and identifying opportunities to end the learning crisis and provide children in the Philippines quality education. Our work does not end here. UNICEF will continue to stand with the Philippine government to help ensure that reforms are effective, inclusive, and truly deliver for all learners, “ UNICEF Philippines Representative Kyungsun Kim said.

UNICEF also welcomes the alignment of the newly launched National Education Plan (NatPlan) 2026–2035 with evidence-based priorities focusing on early childhood development, foundational literacy and numeracy, inclusive learning, and strengthened resource allocation.

Reforms grounded in data

The final report identifies increased investments in early childhood nutrition as one of its top priorities, citing the data from Expanded National Nutrition Survey by the Department of Science and Technology–Food and Nutrition Research Institute which shows that nearly 24 per cent of children under five in the country are stunted.

Prevalence of stunting in the Bangsamoro Region in this cohort is at 34 per cent, significantly higher than national average.

UNICEF has long underscored the prioritization of children’s health and nutrition in the first 1,000 days of life, when the brain undergoes critical development.

“The Report reinforces the truth we cannot ignore: the learning crisis begins long before a child enters school. If we invest in this critical 1,000-day window, we give them a firm foundation to learn the skills they need for life. Children in the Philippines deserve nothing less than a future where their potential is maximized by quality education and not limited by circumstances,“ Ms. Kim said.

The evidence underscores the imperative to focus resources on early childhood, where interventions are most cost‑effective. UNICEF’s earlier calls emphasized strengthening the first 1,000 days, expanding access to quality early childhood care and development, and ensuring functional literacy before Grade 3 has been integrated in the national plan.

A decisive moment to end learning crisis

The ten-year plan adopts key priorities essential to breaking the country’s learning crisis, including a strong foundation in early childhood development, with commitments to expand and build capacity of child development centres; strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy, ensuring early learners achieve functional proficiency essential for lifelong learning; inclusive and equitable learning environments to reach more learners, regardless of their circumstances; and improved resource allocation, guided by evidence and accompanied by stronger governance and accountability mechanisms.

The state budget of PHP 1.3 trillion (USD 23 billion) for education in 2026 is deemed the highest for education in the country’s history and is equivalent to 4.4 per cent of the country’s gross domestic product, which falls within the United Nations-prescribed benchmark of 4-6 per cent.