THE BICAMERAL Conference Committee on Monday (03 Feb 2025) approved the consolidated versions of House Bill No. 10142 and Senate Bill 2575, the proposed Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Act.

The approval follows recent findings from the Second Congressional Commission on Education’s Year Two Report, revealing that only 25% of Filipino children between the ages of 6–12 months meet the recommended energy intake, with alarmingly low rates among those from impoverished households.

Senate Bill 2575, co-authored by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, introduces comprehensive measures to upgrade the quality of early childhood education.

It proposes improvements in health, nutrition, and social service programs for children from birth to four years old.

“This measure is crucial for laying a strong foundation for the education of our young learners. The EDCOM 2 report revealed that many Filipino children younger than five are at a severe nutritional disadvantage and do not have access to ECCD programs. By strengthening programs on health, nutrition, and early childhood education, we can ensure that future generations of Filipino children will have a stronger foundation for a brighter future,” Gatchalian said.

On the counterpart House bill, Pasig City Rep. Roman Romulo emphasized the importance of cohesive and integrated ECCD systems.

“Our goal is to ensure that every Filipino child receives the best start in life through accessible, high-quality care, nutrition, and education. With concerning statistics about our young children’s health, it’s clear that strengthening our early childhood care and development programs is more urgent than ever. Local governments should be at the forefront of this initiative, ensuring that the benefits of this law reach every child, especially those who need them most,” Romulo said.

The legislation mandates local government units to actively implement and monitor ECCD programs within their jurisdictions.

This includes setting up local ECCD offices, ensuring that programs are tailored to meet the specific needs of their communities and align with national standards.

Additional provisions in the bill call for the establishment of a standardized ECCD system that integrates comprehensive child development principles and a unified information system to monitor and evaluate program efficacy nationwide.