TACLOBAN CITY — The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) has formally submitted its final report and a proposed 10-year National Education and Workforce Development Plan (NatPlan) 2026–2035 to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., marking a major step toward long-term reforms in the country’s education system.
The turnover at Malacañang Palace, conducted under Republic Act No. 11899, signals the transition from assessment to sustained, system-wide reform. The NatPlan, built on three years of nationwide and evidence-based evaluation, is intended to guide education policies, legislation, and budget priorities across administrations.
President Marcos received the report, titled “Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reform,” alongside key Cabinet officials and congressional leaders, including EDCOM II co-chairpersons from both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The final report highlights a sharp decline in learning proficiency as students progress through basic education. Data cited show that while about 30 percent of learners are proficient by Grade 3, proficiency drops to just over 1 percent by Grade 10 and below 1 percent by Grade 12, pointing to unaddressed learning gaps that worsen over time.
To address this, the NatPlan outlines priority reforms such as strengthening early childhood education, improving learner nutrition, decongesting classrooms, reducing teachers’ non-teaching workloads, and ending mass promotion practices that mask learning deficiencies.
The plan includes time-bound targets for 2028, 2031, and 2035 to restore learning proficiency and ensure assessment results reflect actual mastery. These reforms are supported by a record P1.37-trillion education budget for 2026, the highest in Philippine history and equivalent to 4.4 percent of gross domestic product.
EDCOM II leaders said the roadmap aims to translate evidence into concrete policy action to improve learning outcomes and ensure that no Filipino learner is left behind.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
