BAGUIO City Rep. Mark Go expressed strong support for education reforms following the release of the Year Two Report of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).

Go made this statement during a session attended by fellow Co-Chairperson Rep. Roman Romulo and other House members, led by Executive Director Karol Mark Yee.

During the joint committee meeting of the Committee on Higher and Technical Education and the Committee on Basic Education, EDCOM 2 discussed key findings and developments from the report and explored potential legislative actions to address these pressing issues.

EDCOM 2’s Year Two Report, released on January 27, highlighted concerns in Philippine education, including a 39% national dropout rate in higher education.

It also pointed to a significant reduction in subsidies for tertiary education among the poorest, from 74.24% in 2018 to just 30.74% in 2022.

Other issues include the misalignment of higher education policies, where the existing research-focused approach does not fit all institutions.

The Philippines also faces challenges in strengthening its position in the global education market, hindered by a low researcher-to-student ratio and restrictive visa policies that prevent international students from enrolling.

Recent developments include efforts to prioritize the poorest students in the Tertiary Education Subsidy (TES) and discussions around expanding the TES coverage.