THE PHILIPPINE Business for Education called on lawmakers to pass the Education Commission Bill before the 18th Congress ends.

House Bill 10308 or the EDCOM Bill seeks to create a non-permanent body that will review the education sector and recommend reforms.

“We have a small window of opportunity to pass the bill before Congress is taken over by the campaign period in February 2022. We will take this chance because this is a step towards resolving the learning crisis,” PBEd Executive Director Love Basillote said.

PBEd urged President Rodrigo Duterte to certify the EDCOM Bill as urgent.

“We are in a learning crisis unlike any other. NEDA has already partially computed the economic loss—P11 trillion in reduction of future wages and productivity. I say partial because that only accounts for zero face-to-face classes in 2020 and 2021. We call on the President to certify as urgent the EDCOM Bill. This will signal that the government is serious in addressing the learning crisis,” Basillote said.

Meanwhile, PBEd Chairman and Phinma Corporation President Ramon del Rosario Jr. said that the EDCOM should be multi-sectoral.

In House Bill 10308, the EDCOM is composed solely of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

“Education stakeholders should be represented: the private sector, teachers, school leaders, education experts, and civic organizations are ready to work collaboratively with the national government and complement each other’s effort in building and re-building the system,” del Rosario said.

He emphasized the value of representation because it “ensures that practical and theoretical expertise from the ground are heard.”