THE SENATE has approved on second reading Senate Bill No. 2575 or the measure strengthening the Early Childhood Care and Development System of the country.

The bill is sponsored by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, Chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, and Co-Chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education.

A key amendment to the bill is to transfer the ECCD Council as an attached agency to the Department of Interior and Local Government to ensure monitoring and evaluation of local ECCD programs.

Additionally, ECCD indicators will be integrated into the criteria for the Seal of Good Local Governance. This will tie local government performance in areas such as social protection, health compliance, and sustainable education to the ECCD programs they implement.

The bill also proposes higher qualifications for child development workers and teachers.

EDCOM 2 proposes that a CDW shall be at least a senior high school graduate and has passed the national competency assessment for CDWs; or a high school graduate who has finished two years of tertiary education and has passed a certification by the TESDA for CDWs; or an Associate Degree holder in Early Childhood Education or its equivalent.

A CDT, on the other hand, shall be a holder of any bachelor’s degree, preferably with units in Early Childhood Education, and has passed the licensure examination for teachers.

The salary grade for CDWs will be set at no less than SG 8, SG 10 for CDWs with an Associate Degree, and SG 11 for CDTs.

Hired ECCD personnel will also be exempted from personal services limitations under Sections 325A and 331B of the Local Government Code to ensure the hiring and fair compensation without budgetary constraints.

In support of ongoing professional development, the bill establishes scholarship programs, developed in collaboration with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and the Commission on Higher Education, to support the continuing education of CDWs and CDTs.

These scholarships mandate service in return and are part of an initiative that includes a new TESDA course slated for 2025.

EDCOM 2 has also pushed for PhP 79.9 million in the 2025 TESDA budget for the training of approximately 2,800 daycare workers who currently hold only high school diplomas, aiming to upskill them to a National Certification III level.