SENATOR Loren Legarda has proposed Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 09, seeking to adopt the National Education and Workforce Development Plan (2026-2035) as a ten-year policy framework for the government, aligned with the recommendations of the Second Congressional Commission on Education.

Legarda emphasized that the challenges facing Philippine education are systemic, longstanding, and closely linked to workforce outcomes, productivity, and national competitiveness. She underscored that these issues cannot be resolved through piecemeal reforms or short-term policies that change with each election cycle.

Over the past three years, the Education, Development, and Competitiveness of the Workforce (EDCOM II) conducted an extensive, evidence-based review of various sectors—early childhood, basic, tertiary, and technical-vocational education—grounded in research, consultations, and rigorous policy analysis.

“The outcome is a clear diagnosis and a coherent roadmap for reform,” Legarda stated.

She clarified that the resolution does not propose creating new bureaucracies, automatic funding mandates, or executive micromanagement. Instead, it seeks to institutionalize policy stability and continuity, ensuring reforms outlast administrations and are sustained across budget cycles.

“Adopting this long-term plan signifies a commitment to evidence-based, stable reform,” Legarda explained. “It’s about guiding education policy with foresight, placing learners, teachers, and future workers at the core of our national development agenda.”

She likened the proposed plan to medium-term fiscal frameworks, emphasizing the importance of a stable, long-term approach to reforms that serve as a foundation for sustained progress.

“This is a moment for the Senate to lead with vision,” she concluded. “By endorsing this resolution, we commit to a decade of deliberate, data-driven reforms that prioritize the future of our learners and the competitiveness of our nation.”