THE Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) is all set to perform its mandate to evaluate the Philippine education sector’s performance starting January 2023, Senator Sherwin Gatchalian said.
According to Gatchalian, co-chairperson of EDCOM II, this will boost the administration’s effort to effectively address the country’s education crisis, which was aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The EDCOM II was created by virtue of Republic Act (RA) No. 11899 or the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) Act, which Gatchalian sponsored during the 18th Congress.
“Sa pagbubukas ng 2023, agaran nating sisimulan ang maigting na pagsusuri sa estado ng edukasyon sa ating bansa. Sa pamamagitan ng EDCOM II, magpapanukala at magsusulong tayo ng mga repormang tutugon sa krisis na bumabalot sa sektor ng edukasyon,” said Gatchalian.
The EDCOM II will evaluate how mandates are observed under the laws that created the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
The EDCOM II’s national assessment will also recommend transformative, concrete, and targeted reforms to make the Philippines globally competitive in both education and labor markets.
Republic Act (RA) No. 11899 also created an Education, Legislation and Policy Advisory Council to provide the commission with expert assistance and advice. Last December, the Senate named the members of the Advisory Council.
Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto and Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano were named policy advisors from local government units (LGUs). Former Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) President Fr. Bienvenido Nebres and former University of the Philippines (UP) College of Social Sciences and Philosophy dean Dr. Maria Cynthia Rose Bautista will serve as advisors from the academe.
Alfredo Ayala and Dr. Chito Salazar will represent the business sector. To represent government education agencies, former TESDA director-general Irene Isaac and Private Education Assistance Committee Executive Director Doris Ferrer will also serve as policy advisors.
To complete the membership to the Advisory Council, Synergeia Foundation and the Civil Society Network for Education Reforms (E-Net Philippines) will represent civil society organizations and development partners engaged in education.
The EDCOM II is mandated to accomplish its mandate within three years of its organization. The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) will serve as the commission’s research arm.
