THE SECOND Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) on Wednesday lauded the significant budgetary support for early childhood education under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (GAA), consistent with the Commission’s call for greater investments in the foundational years of learning.

“Part of our historic allocation to the education sector are investments in early childhood care and development, which will strengthen our learners’ foundations and help us resolve the education crisis hounding our country,” said EDCOM 2 Commissioner Senator Sherwin Gatchalian.

“We cannot solve our education crisis if we do not fix the foundation,” said Rep. Roman Romulo, EDCOM 2 co-chairperson.

“This historic allocation for the full implementation of the ECCD System Act proves that we are serious about stopping the learning gap before it even begins. When we pour resources into the first four years of a child’s life, we set the trajectory for their entire educational journey,” Romulo added.

EDCOM 2 had pushed for a ₱226 million allocation under the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF) of the Department of Budget and Management.

Under the GAA, the LGSF totals ₱57.8 billion, which includes funds to support the conversion of day care centers to child development center standards in fourth- and fifth-class municipalities.

The 2026 budget also includes significant investments in the upskilling of incumbent child development workers (CDWs) through a ₱226.9 million scholarship program under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

This initiative aims to provide 9,796 CDWs who currently hold only high school diplomas with the necessary competencies to earn a National Certificate (NC) III in Early Childhood Education.

Recognizing that the first 1,000 days of life are critical in preventing stunting, the government has also increased funding for the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s Supplemental Feeding Program and the Department of Education’s School-Based Feeding Program.

The Commission likewise pushed for the expansion of DepEd’s School-Based Feeding Program to include at least 140,000 nutritionally at-risk pregnant adolescent learners.

This ₱369.6 million expansion targets adolescents beyond Grade 6, providing 120 days of nutritional support to mitigate the risk of stunting among their children.

“This critical investment in ECCD is a big win for education, signaling the strong resolve of the government in addressing our learning crisis,” said EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee. “As we have long advocated, fixing the foundations by investing in our children’s education and nutrition from age zero to four is our best bet in addressing the challenges in literacy and learning faced by millions of Filipino children,” he added.