THE SECOND Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) has awarded research grants through the Ateneo-EDCOM 2 Research Fellowship.

This program brings together 16 distinguished scholars from universities across the country to help EDCOM address critical challenges in the Philippine education sector.

The fellows will conduct in-depth studies on priority areas ranging from early childhood education to higher education, teacher development, and industry involvement in skills training. Their work will support EDCOM 2’s mandate to assess and reform the country’s educational system.

The scholars come not only from Ateneo de Manila University but also from top institutions, including the University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, De La Salle University, Philippine Normal University, Cavite State University, Eastern Visayas State University, and Batangas State University.

Dr. Ma. Josephine Therese Emily G. Teves will focus on supply-side challenges in early childhood education, particularly the availability of critical learning materials such as songs, apps, books, and TV shows, and their contributions to learning outcomes.

Her study aims to highlight strategies for leveraging alternative resources in early childhood care and development (ECCD) to promote holistic child development.

Dr. Genejane M. Adarlo will examine the Filipino family in the context of labor migration, exploring the involvement of migrant parents in the education of their left-behind children and the effects of parental migration on children’s well-being and educational outcomes.

In higher education, Dr. Anne Lan K. Candelaria will focus on reforming graduate education to prepare students for global research and innovation challenges.

Dr. Marilyn U. Balagtas will lead research on aligning teacher education programs across CHED, PRC, and DepEd to ensure future educators are trained and certified according to evolving sectoral needs.

Dr. Rosalyn G. Mirasol will study ways to encourage more students to enter the teaching profession.

Meanwhile, Dr. Gerry B. de Cadiz, EnP, will examine interventions to enhance professional development programs for teachers and school leaders, ensuring continuous growth and supportive environments for educators and administrators.

Dr. Victor S. Rosales, an expert in technical and vocational education and a TESDA-certified trainer, will focus on improving the quality of technical-vocational education and training (TVET) courses to ensure better job opportunities.