Bicam approves creation of EDCOM II
MANILA, Philippines — The bicameral conference committee has greenlit a proposal to create the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), which will undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the country's education sector and how the nation's education agencies are fulfilling their duties.
Sen. Sherwin "Win" Gatchalian, who chairs his chamber's basic education, arts and culture committee, made the announcement in a statement on Friday.
The consolidated bill, which was approved on March 15, is now up for the signature of President Rodrigo Duterte.
The findings of the EDCOM II's assessment and evaluation will help in recommending targeted reforms in the education sector so that the Philippines will become globally competitive in its education and labor markets, according to Gatchalian.
The EDCOM II will also review how various education agencies, such as the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) are fulfilling their mandates.
Gatchalian said that three global large-scale assessments — the 2018 Programme for International Student Assessment, the 2019 Southeast Asia Primary Learning Metrics and the 2019 Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study — showed that Filipino learners are behind in mastering basic competencies compared to their peers abroad.
“Even before COVID-19 hit, our youth was already falling behind in their studies and the pandemic has further aggravated their situation. The creation of the EDCOM II is timely in pushing for reforms and addressing the crisis faced by the education sector," Gatchalian said.
If passed into law, the final version of the bill says that the EDCOM II will comprise of ten members — five from the Senate and five from the House of Representatives.
Private education stakeholders including the Philippine Business for Education and Coordinating Council of Private Educational Associations of the Philippines have earlier backed the passage of the bill which would convene the EDCOM II.
In 2020, five senators, including Gatchalian, called to revive the EDCOM to help the executive branch improve the state of education in the country.
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