THE PUSH to extend the mandate of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) is gaining strong bipartisan support in both chambers of Congress, with lawmakers filing measures to ensure that the Commission’s research and policy recommendations lead to lasting reforms in the Philippine education system.

In the Senate, EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Senator Loren Legarda filed Senate Bill No. 529, while Senator Risa Hontiveros filed Senate Bill No. 1418. Their counterparts in the House of Representatives—EDCOM 2 Co-Chairpersons Representatives Roman Romulo and Jude Acidre—filed House Bills No. 4862 and 5017, respectively.

“We hear it loud and clear: EDCOM has done wonderful work. Thank you for your dedication. I will do the committee report on the extension of EDCOM,” Legarda said.

In her explanatory note, Legarda underscored that extending the Commission’s mandate for two more years will help sustain policy momentum and build on the foundation laid not only by institutions but by the tireless work of education experts, researchers, and public servants who have supported the Commission’s mission.

Key education agencies—including the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA)—have all expressed strong support for the proposed extension.

CHED Chairperson Dr. Shirley Agrupis praised EDCOM 2’s data-driven contributions, saying, “We fully support the extension of EDCOM 2. The data being generated by EDCOM is really very helpful to us in terms of planning and setting priorities. We have started using EDCOM 2’s data to design a seamless education pathway that ensures no learner is left behind.”

TESDA Director General Francisco Benitez echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that EDCOM 2 has helped break bureaucratic silos among the education agencies.

“The data-driven studies that EDCOM has generated created the conditions through which the three agencies looked beyond their own silos and bureaucratic concerns, ensuring a much healthier education system,” Benitez said.

DepEd Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs Atty. Filemon Ray Javier also confirmed the department’s support for the extension, noting that EDCOM 2’s findings have guided DepEd in policy formulation.

“The data gathered by EDCOM from different agencies have assisted DepEd in shaping its policies,” Javier said.

He further highlighted EDCOM 2’s role in fostering inter-agency collaboration, pointing to the first-ever Joint Management Committee meeting between DepEd, CHED, and TESDA.

“EDCOM was instrumental in linking together the educational agencies in the Philippines. The recent historical Joint ManComm among the three agencies happened because of EDCOM 2’s efforts,” he added.

Support for the extension also comes from the academic community. The Philippine Association of State Universities and Colleges led by Dr. Tirso Ronquillo, the Association of Local Colleges and Universities Commission on Accreditation through President Raymundo Arcega, and the University of Makati represented by President Prof. Elyxzur Ramos all expressed strong backing for the continued operation of the Commission.

In the House of Representatives, the pending measures seek to amend Republic Act No. 11899—the law that created EDCOM 2—to allow the Commission to continue its vital work of crafting and overseeing the implementation of education reforms.

Lawmakers said the proposed extension will enable EDCOM 2 to transition from the research and assessment phase to the crucial stage of implementing reforms, ensuring that its evidence-based recommendations are translated into concrete laws and policies that will shape the future of Philippine education.