SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday said the proposed 2024 national budget will mandate the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority to come up with a training regulation for child development workers.

This was after the Senate Committee on Finance carried Gatchalian’s proposal in its committee report on the General Appropriations Bill, which seeks to prioritize the upskilling of CDWs.

Under the special provision that Gatchalian proposed, the TESDA, in coordination with the Early Childhood Care and Development Council, shall prioritize the development of a training regulation for qualification in ECCD.

This training regulation shall cover existing and incoming CDWs.

Research by the senator’s office revealed that 16% or 11,196 of the total pool of CDWs are high school graduates. Considering the important role of ECCD, Gatchalian said it is crucial that CDWs are equipped with a defined set of skills and competencies for primary caregiving. He also emphasized the importance of giving CDWs a pathway to upskilling.

“TESDA came up with a training regulation for barangay health workers. The same principle applies to our child development workers, our present daycare teachers,” said Gatchalian, Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.

“The training regulation and certification will level up their skills. This will enable them to perform their job better and show that they have the necessary training,” he added.

Gatchalian is the author of the Basic Education and Early Childhood Education Alignment Act, which seeks to ensure the alignment of the ECCD curriculum and the K to 12 basic education curriculum.

The proposed measure also seeks to make local government units more accountable when it comes to the implementation of ECCD programs to include, among others, the achievement of universal coverage for the ECCD system and the augmentation of funds and resources.