SENATOR Loren Legarda has filed the K to 3 Foundational Learning and Nurturing Care Act, a landmark measure aimed at addressing the country’s persistent crisis in early education.

The bill seeks to strengthen literacy, numeracy, and socio-emotional learning during the critical years from Kindergarten to Grade 3, bridging the gap between early childhood care and the formal K–12 system.

Legarda underscored the urgency of the measure, citing EDCOM II findings that nearly half of Filipino learners are unable to read at grade level by the end of Grade 3. Global studies by UNICEF and the World Bank further show that 91 percent of Filipino children at late primary age cannot read and understand a simple story, placing the Philippines among the countries with the highest learning poverty rates worldwide.

“What begins as a reading problem ultimately becomes a learning crisis,” Legarda said. “If we fail our children in the early years, we fail them for life. This is a crisis we cannot afford to ignore.”

She noted that while the Philippines has an established Early Childhood Care and Development framework under Republic Act No. 12199, a critical gap remains between ECCD and the formal K–12 system.

“Kindergarten to Grade 3 is a crucial stage that determines whether a child stays on track or falls into struggle,” Legarda said. “Without deliberate investment in these formative years, ECCD gains will be lost, leaving children unprepared for higher levels of education.”

The proposed measure adopts a prevention-first approach, ensuring that children build strong foundations early and reducing the need for costly remediation later. It calls for high-quality, language-rich and numeracy-rich instruction integrated with socio-emotional learning and values formation.

“Education is the nation’s most powerful equalizer,” Legarda added. “If we fix learning in the early grades, we ease congestion in later years—resulting in fewer repeaters, fewer dropouts, and better use of every peso dedicated to education.”