Early Years Act IRR to boost early child education, development

MANILA, Philippines - Education Secretary Armin Luistro led the signing of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for The Early Years Act of 2013 last Tuesday, which provides for holistic care for young children in the crucial stage of development.

Luistro, along with Health Secretary Enrique Ona and Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman, signed the IRR of Republic Act 10410, which was enacted seven months ago.

The law brings together all government agencies down to the barangay level to provide for the basic needs of children ages 0 to 8, which are considered to be the first crucial stage of educational development.

The law aims to “achieve improved infant and child survival rates by ensuring that adequate health and nutrition programs are accessible to young children and their parents, from the prenatal period throughout the early childhood years.”

It also seeks to enhance “the physical-motor, socio-emotional, cognitive, language, psychological and spiritual development of young children” and “to facilitate a smooth transition from care and education provided at home to community or school-based setting and to kindergarten.”

The law mandates the state to make accessible services that provide for the basic needs of young children such as early education, health and sanitation, nutrition, child protection, social services and human development.

The measure also institutionalizes a National Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) System that involves the collaboration of various agencies at the national and local levels with families and communities, NGOs, professional and academic groups and other service providers.

It also mandates the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. to contribute P500 million per year for five years to fund the establishment of National Child Development Centers and the conversion of existing day care centers into child development centers.

The over-all guidance for the care of children from 0 to 4 shall be the responsibility of the ECCD Council while that of children 5 to 8 shall be with the DepEd. —With Sheila Crisostomo