THE REGIONAL Education Committee XII in SOCCSKSARGEN has urged provincial, city, and municipal Local School Boards (LSBs) in the region to align their Special Education Fund (SEF) utilization with national education reforms to address persistent learning challenges.

During its inaugural organizational meeting, REC XII approved Resolution No. 03, Series of 2026, calling on local school boards to adopt the recommendations of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) and ensure that SEF allocations support priority education programs in line with Joint Circular No. 1, Series of 2025, and Section 272 of the Local Government Code.

The resolution was issued in response to EDCOM 2 findings that highlighted continuing concerns in foundational literacy and numeracy, learning poverty, learner malnutrition, limited participation in early childhood education, and the need for more effective education financing.

EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark Yee welcomed the initiative, saying it shows how national education studies and recommendations can be transformed into concrete actions at the local level.

Yee said aligning SEF spending with updated national guidelines would allow Local School Boards to directly address the root causes of the education crisis by investing in foundational literacy, early childhood care and development, and school-based nutrition programs.

The resolution was adopted under the leadership of REC XII Chairperson Atty. Alberto T. Escobarte and spearheaded by Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region XII Director Atty. Rochelle D. Mahinay-Sero, with support from General Santos City local government representative Ma. Lourdes Casabuena.

Under the measure, Local School Boards are encouraged to review their Local Education Plans and Annual Investment Programs and prioritize SEF investments for early childhood education, school feeding and nutrition, foundational literacy and numeracy programs, the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, learner assessments, and teacher professional development.

EDCOM 2 Commissioner and Sarangani Representative Steve Solon said the initiative highlights the vital role of local governments in improving education outcomes.

Solon emphasized that maximizing every peso from the Special Education Fund based on local education data would enable local government units (LGUs), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) to help address learning gaps and build a more equitable education system for children in SOCCSKSARGEN.

The resolution also encourages local governments to strengthen evidence-based education planning, enhance partnerships with higher education institutions and TESDA, and regularly share successful SEF-funded initiatives that could help shape future national education policies.