THE country’s three main education agencies have pledged to work together to implement the National Education and Workforce Development Plan 2026–2035 of EDCOM II, highlighting a shared national responsibility to resolve the Philippines’ learning crisis.

The commitments were made during the ceremonial turnover of EDCOM II’s final report, Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reform, to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Marcos called on the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to act in unity, with determination and consistency, to ensure reforms endure beyond his administration.

In response, the leaders of the three agencies vowed to dismantle fragmented policies and adopt a whole-of-government approach to education and workforce reform.

Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara said the EDCOM II report presents an honest and evidence-based picture of the sector, noting that it does not downplay the challenges ahead.

“The learning crisis is not a DepEd problem alone,” Angara said. “The roadmap is clear, but delivery will depend on how well the entire government moves together.”

While noting that DepEd has already begun reform efforts, Angara said the report pushes the agency to move faster, with greater focus and discipline, stressing the importance of execution and accountability. “The challenge now is execution—staying the course, aligning budgets and incentives, and holding ourselves jointly accountable for learning outcomes,” he added.

CHED Chairperson Dr. Shirley Agrupis welcomed the report, describing it as a compass for the education sector and warning that short-term solutions are no longer sufficient.

“The education concerns the report identifies are not new. Ang mga ito ay hindi na bago, ngunit hindi na rin maaaring ipagliban,” Agrupis said, emphasizing that fragmented interventions and stopgap measures will no longer work. “What is required is coherence across agencies.”

Agrupis said CHED’s ACHIEVE agenda aligns with the NatPlan and aims to address long-standing structural gaps in higher education. “Malinaw sa atin ngayon: ang reporma sa mataas na edukasyon ay hindi isang proyekto, kundi isang pananagutan,” she added.

TESDA Director General Kiko Benitez highlighted the urgency of preparing the workforce for future demands, calling the NatPlan’s launch a critical juncture for Filipino workers.

“We are now at a turning point in our mission. We know that skills are the most valuable currency,” Benitez said, adding that TESDA is intensifying efforts to deliver “training to trabaho” for Filipinos. He stressed that workforce readiness requires close inter-agency collaboration, saying, “Preparing the Filipino workforce for the future is not TESDA’s work alone—it is our shared national responsibility, and the time to act is now.”