THE SECOND Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) has launched the Early Childhood Dashboard, a digital platform designed to help local government units (LGUs) and communities identify priority areas for improving early childhood development nationwide.

The dashboard is intended to support evidence-based interventions in nutrition, early education, and literacy by integrating key data from the National Nutrition Council (NNC), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Department of Education (DepEd).

EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Rep. Roman Romulo described the platform as a landmark initiative that reflects the commission’s commitment to transparency in advancing education reforms.

“These are landmark initiatives that show our commitment to transparency in pushing for education reform,” Romulo said.

EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee said making reliable and accessible data available to stakeholders can help drive meaningful reforms.

“This platform embodies our belief that we must continue to strengthen transparency, because transparency enables collective action. And that information, when placed in the hands of people willing to act, can become a force for reform,” Yee said.

The Early Childhood Dashboard was co-developed with AC Analytics, the Data Science and Artificial Intelligence team of Ayala Corporation, which supports data analytics and AI initiatives for both public and private institutions.

The platform provides a comprehensive view of three key indicators affecting children’s development. It tracks the number and percentage of stunted children aged zero to two using Operation Timbang Plus 2025 data, identifies barangays without Child Development Centers through the Community-Based Monitoring System (CBMS), and maps struggling readers in Grades 1 to 3 using DepEd’s Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment conducted at the end of School Year 2025–2026.

According to EDCOM 2, the dashboard currently covers 25,869 barangays, 48,255 schools, and reading assessment data for 5.13 million learners.

Nationwide data show that 4.3 percent of children aged zero to two are stunted, 11 percent of barangays lack a Child Development Center, and 10 percent of learners in Grades 1 to 3 are classified as struggling readers.

The platform also provides school-level data showing the exact number and percentage of struggling readers, including those identified as low and high emerging readers. It automatically compares local figures with national averages, allowing users to quickly identify areas requiring immediate intervention.

EDCOM 2 External Engagements Lead Jude Liao said the dashboard is designed to serve as a common resource for government agencies, LGUs, schools, civil society organizations, businesses, churches, and universities in coordinating programs for children.

“This dashboard is not only a source of information. It gives LGUs, government agencies, civil society organizations, Church groups, companies, schools, and universities a common starting point for coordinated action,” Liao said.

The commission said the dashboard is publicly accessible through the EDCOM 2 website and is expected to help stakeholders better target interventions to improve child nutrition, expand access to early childhood care, and ensure more Filipino children achieve grade-level reading proficiency by Grade 3.