SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian is seeking the full and effective implementation of the Parent Effectiveness Service Act or Republic Act No. 11908.

The senator made the move after the results of the 2022 Programme for International Student assessment showed students in more supportive homes tend to perform better.

The latest round of PISA showed compared to other Organisations for Economic Co-Operation and Development Countries, the index of family support in the Philippines was negatively and significantly lower.

According to the study, a one-unit increase in the index of family support in the Philippines was associated with a 13-point increase in the mathematics score of students after accounting for their socioeconomic profiles and that of their schools.

The study also revealed the changes in learners’ mathematics performance when parents or members of their family did activities once or twice a week, every day or almost every day, to show support.

When students reported they eat the main meal together with their parents, they tend to score 44 points higher in mathematics.

Spending time to talk, on the other hand, improved math scores by 33 points.

Other activities that helped improve math scores include encouraging students to get good marks, talking about the importance of completing upper secondary education, talking about future education, and discussing how well a learner is doing at school, among others.

Gatchalian said these results press the need to empower parents in supporting their child’s development, which could be achieved through the implementation of the Parent Effectiveness Service Act.

The law, which Gatchalian authored and co-sponsored, seeks to strengthen the knowledge and skills of parents and parent-substitutes in responding to their parental duties and responsibilities, protecting and promoting children’s rights, fostering positive early childhood development, and advancing children’s educational progress.

The law provides the program shall be implemented in cities and municipalities, which will conduct parent effectiveness sessions through their respective social welfare and development offices and local government units.

“Ipinasa natin ang Parent Effectiveness Service Program Act upang tulungan ang ating mga magulang na magabayan ang kanilang mga anak. Nakita natin sa PISA ang kahalagahan ng suporta at gabay ng mga magulang sa pag-aaral ng kanilang mga anak, kaya naman dapat nating tiyakin na ang mga PES program ay naipapatupad nang maayos sa lahat ng mga lungsod at munisipalidad sa bansa,” said Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.