THE SECOND Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) has issued an eight-point education checklist urging the government to focus on the effective implementation of existing reforms and ensure that increased investments in education lead to concrete improvements for learners and teachers.

Recognizing gains made over the past three years—including the passage of key education laws, increased public funding, improved textbook procurement, the creation of additional teaching and administrative positions, and the implementation of the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program—EDCOM 2 emphasized that the next phase of reform must center on execution and measurable results.

The Commission stressed that national policies and investments should translate into outcomes that students, teachers, and families can directly experience.

One of the Commission’s top priorities is addressing the country’s worsening childhood stunting problem.

Citing the latest survey of the Department of Science and Technology’s Food and Nutrition Research Institute (DOST-FNRI), EDCOM 2 noted that stunting among children below five years old has increased to 25.3 percent, or about one in four children—the first recorded rise in a decade.

The Commission also called for the immediate implementation of the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) System Act, noting that its implementing rules and regulations (IRR) remain pending a year after the law was enacted.

Without the IRR, local governments cannot fully establish ECCD offices, create plantilla positions, set up financing mechanisms, and implement professional development programs for child development workers, many of whom remain non-permanent employees receiving an average salary of around ₱5,000 per month.

EDCOM 2 likewise urged the government to finalize the remaining guidelines for the Inclusive Education Act to ensure that learners with disabilities receive timely and sufficient support through accessible learning materials, assistive devices, assessment systems, and adequately trained Special Needs Education teachers.

The Commission also renewed its call to fast-track classroom construction, citing a nationwide backlog of more than 166,000 classrooms.

It recommended prioritizing construction in schools with the most severe overcrowding and improving coordination among the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), local government units, and housing agencies to ensure that new residential developments are matched with adequate school facilities.

On school safety, EDCOM 2 welcomed the revised implementing rules of the Anti-Bullying Act and urged schools to fully adopt the new guidelines by training learner formation officers, creating localized anti-bullying manuals, strengthening reporting mechanisms, and expanding access to mental health and child protection services.

The Commission cited results from the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), which showed that 43 percent of Filipino girls and 53 percent of Filipino boys experienced bullying several times a month.

EDCOM 2 also recognized the initial gains of the ARAL Program but raised concerns over uneven implementation due to low learner participation, delays in tutor hiring, and personnel shortages.

It recommended expediting the procurement of learning materials, ensuring the immediate hiring and deployment of tutors, and strengthening monitoring systems to help struggling learners improve their reading and numeracy skills.

The Commission further highlighted the need to reduce teachers’ administrative workload. While required forms have already been reduced from 174 to 75 and 10,000 additional Administrative Officer positions have been approved, EDCOM 2 said many teachers continue to handle overlapping reports and non-teaching duties that affect classroom instruction.

It called for more streamlined reporting procedures and the proper deployment of administrative personnel to support teachers.

Finally, EDCOM 2 urged the Executive branch and Congress to prioritize amendments to the charters of the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).

The Commission said updating these mandates would help resolve overlapping responsibilities, strengthen coordination across the education sector, and align agencies with the National Education and Workforce Development Plan for 2026–2035.