MANILA, Philippines — The Senate has ratified the bicameral conference committee report which seeks to establish the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), a body that will undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the country's education sector, a lawmaker said on Tuesday.
The Upper House finalized the bicam report which reconciles the differences between the measures submitted by both chambers of Congress — House Bill 10308 and Senate Bill 2485 — according to an emailed statement sent by the office of Sen. Sherwin "Win" Gatchalian, who chairs the committee on basic education, arts and culture.
The final version of the EDCOM II bill is set to be transmitted to the president, who can sign, veto it or let it lapse into law. Once established, the EDCOM II will have three years to review how education agencies are observing their mandates, and recommend specific solutions for how they can improve their performance.
Under the bicam report, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies will be the commission's research arm.
"Through the EDCOM II, we will be able to focus on the crisis facing the education sector, which was made worse by the pandemic. If we want to improve the quality of education and ensure a good future, we must not stop the needed reforms required for it," Gatchalian said in Filipino.
In a speech delivered on Monday, the congressional body takes the lead from the EDCOM I, established more than thirty years ago and is considered as what he called the most extensive and intensive public consultation in the history of Philippine governance.
The pandemic has affected the delivery of education, with schools shifting from traditional face-to-face classes to remote learning to curb the spread of the virus. The abrupt transition, however, has led to several problems, including spotty internet and the lack of funds for gadgets required for distance learning activities.
