Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2)

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Second Congressional Commission on Education
EDCOM II
AbbreviationEDCOM II
PredecessorEducation Commission of 1991
FounderCongress of the Philippines
Founded at Philippines
TypeCommission
PurposePolicy research and reforms on the Philippine education system
Location
Executive Director
Karol Mark Yee, Executive Director
Key people
Senator Bam Aquino, Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, Representative Roman Romulo, Representative Jude Acidre
Parent organization
Congress of the Philippines
Website https://www.edcom2.gov.ph/

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) is a Philippine Congressional entity created by the 18th Congress of the Philippines. [1] [2]

Contents

Overview and History

The body was created by virtue of Republic Act (RA) 11899, which lapsed into law on July 23, 2022. [3]

The Commission is tasked to conduct a national review of the country's education sector after the COVID-19 pandemic exacted a heavy toll on learning. [4] Its primary goal is to recommend legislation and policies to address the "learning crisis" and improve the quality of education in the Philippines. [5]

The Education Commission of 1991

The first Education Commission was established in 1991. [6] It was tasked with assessing the state of Philippine education and recommending reforms. The commission's findings highlighted issues like low investment, disparities in access, low achievement, and high dropout rates. These findings led to significant changes, including the "trifocalization" of basic education and the creation of CHED and TESDA. [6]

Grade 10 Filipinos scored lowest among all ASEAN countries in Math, Reading, and Science, besting only Cambodia, with more than 75% of our learners scoring lower than Level 2, or the minimum level of proficiency in Math, Reading, and Science. ASEAN Performance Overall in PISA 2018 and 2022.png
Grade 10 Filipinos scored lowest among all ASEAN countries in Math, Reading, and Science, besting only Cambodia, with more than 75% of our learners scoring lower than Level 2, or the minimum level of proficiency in Math, Reading, and Science.

Results of international assessments

The Philippines participated in the Programme for International Student Assessment for the first time in 2018. [7] The country scored the lowest in reading comprehension and the second-lowest in mathematics and science, among 79 participating countries. [7] A report by the World Bank also found that the Philippines’ learning poverty ranks among the highest in the Asian region, at 90.9%. [8] The country fared the worst among the ASEAN countries, with the exception of Lao PDR (97.7%) and Brunei (no assessment). This means that nine in every 10 Filipinos aged 10 years old need to be taught how to read and to develop their reading comprehension. [9]

The Commission was formed as a result of these international assessments, spurred by widespread calls to reform the country's education system. [10]

Mandate and Objectives

Under Section 3 of RA 11899 [11] , the objectives of EDCOM II are to:

The Commission's principal mandate is identified in Section 4:

"To undertake a comprehensive national assessment and evaluation of the performance of the Philippine education sector for the purpose of recommending transformative, concrete and targeted reforms in the sector with the end in view of making the Philippines globally competitive in both education and labor markets." [11]

Composition

The Education Commission is headed by four co-chairpersons who lead the Commission jointly - two from the Senate of the Philippines, and two from the House of Representatives.

In total, the commission has ten members, with five members from the Senate and five members from the House of Representatives.

EDCOM 2 Commissioners from the 19th Congress, with Advisory Council Members EDCOM 2 Commissioners from the 19th Congress with the Advisory Council.jpg
EDCOM 2 Commissioners from the 19th Congress, with Advisory Council Members

Members

The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) is composed of the following legislators from the 20th Congress of the Philippines:

Co-Chairpersons

Other new members of the Commission is expected to be announced once the 20th Congress of the Philippines is called into session.

Former Commissioners

Advisory Council

The commission is guided by an Education, Legislation and Policy Advisory Council, selected by the Senate President and the Speaker of the House of Representatives from a pool of recognized experts from the following sectors: the academe, the business sector, government education agencies, heads of LGUs, and from civil society organizations and development partners engaged in education. The members of the Council are:

Technical Secretariat

  • Dr. Karol Mark Yee, serves as Executive Director of the EDCOM 2 Technical Secretariat

Selected Findings

Priority AreaSelected Findings
Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD)The Philippines has one of the highest prevalence of l stunting under-five in the world at 26.7%, greater than the global average of 22.3%.
Early childhood education is not equally accessible throughout the country. Despite RA 6972 of 1990 requiring each province, city, or municipality to establish a daycare center in every barangay, only 36% have at least 1 CDC/day care, or 15,207 out of 42,027 barangays in the country.
5,800 barangays remain without a child development center
Most daycare teachers and workers are aging, are not trained in early childhood education, and hold non-permanent positions with an average pay of P5,000 per month.
Basic EducationSince 2012, only 27 textbooks have been procured for Grade 1 to Grade 10, despite substantial budget allocations.
Out of the 27 key stage assessments scheduled to be conducted from SY 2016–2017  to SY 2022–2023, 13 were delayed, and 11 were not administered at all.
Learners lose as much as 42 out of 88 school days due to calamities and natural disasters
The Philippines have a backlog of at least 165,000 classrooms
Teacher EducationTeachers continue to bear the burden of about 50 administrative and ancillary tasks, despite efforts to allow them to focus on teaching.
Between 2009 and 2023, the average passing rate in the licensure examinations for elementary (33%) and secondary (40%) has been dismally low, when compared to passing rates in other professions.
Enhancement of the Teacher Education Council (TEC) has been at a standstill for 2 years, despite the pressing need for necessary reforms. RA 11713, or the Excellence in Teacher Education Act was passed into law last April 27, 2022.
62% of HS teachers are handling subjects they did not major in during college
There is uneven allocation of non-teaching personnel
Teacher promotions occur at an alarmingly slow rate. It takes an average of 15 years to progress from Teacher I to progress from Teacher I to Teacher III.
Out of 45,199 public schools, 24,916 (54%) currently do not have principals, with thousands of schools not even having plantilla items
Higher EducationMost beneficiaries of the tertiary education subsidy were not the poorest. Between 2018 and 2022, the proportion of the poorest of the poor* declined markedly, from 74% to 31%. Instead, the majority of grantees were those in municipalities and cities without SUCs and LUCs (from 26% to 69%).
About 500,000 of the poorest high school graduates are not receiving support to attend college
Technical-Vocational Education and Training (TVET) and Lifelong LearningThe majority of students are enrolled in community-based training (CBT) programs, constituting 39% of the total TVET enrollment.
64% of programs with training regulations are low level  (NC 1 & 2)
Governance and FinancingThe staffing levels in CHED and TESDA have not kept pace with the growing responsibilities of the agencies and the increased investments in education from both the public and private sectors.
The failure to permanently establish a high-level coordinating body has resulted in a long-standing lack of effective coordination between the education agencies.
Budget allocated to education is increasing, but there is a tertiary tilt despite profound gaps in basic education
There is a marked disparity in SEF income among different types of LGUs.
Current levels of school MOOE budgets are insufficient to fully cover the operating costs of public elementary and high schools.

Laws Passed

The Commission has shepherded several laws through the legislative process, namely:

Republic Act No.Name of the LawShort TitleDate of Passage into Law
12199AN ACT FURTHER STRENGTHENING THE EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE AND DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM, REPEALING FOR THE PURPOSE REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10410, OTHERWISE KNOWNAS THE “EARLYYEARS ACT (EYA) OF 2013”, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOREarly Childhood Care and Development System ActMay 8, 2025
12080AN ACT STRENGTHENING THE PROMOTIONAND DELIVERY OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN BASIC EDUCATION BY DEVELOPING SCHOOL-BASED MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS, ESTABLISHING SCHOOLS DIVISION MENTAL HEALTH AND WELL-BEING OFFICES AND CARE CENTERS, PRESCRIBING THE CREATION OF NEW PLANTILLA POSITIONS, AND HIRING AND DEPLOYING SCHOOLS DIVISION COUNSELORS, SCHOOL COUNSELORS, AND SCHOOL COUNSELOR ASSOCIATES IN THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFORBasic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion ActDecember 6, 2024
12063AN ACT INSTITUTIONALIZING THE ENTERPRISE-BASED EDUCATION AND TRAINING FRAMEWORK AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOREnterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Framework ActNovember 7, 2024
12028AN ACT ESTABLISHING AN ACADEMIC RECOVERY AND ACCESSIBLE LEARNING (ARAL) PROGRAM AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFORAcademic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program ActOctober 16, 2024
12027AN ACT DISCONTINUING THE USE OF THE MOTHER TONGUE AS MEDIUM OF INSTRUCTION FROM KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE 3, PROVIDING FOR ITS OPTIONAL IMPLEMENTATION IN MONOLINGUAL CLASSES, AND AMENDING FOR THE PURPOSE SECTIONS 4 AND 5 OF REPUBLIC ACT NO. 10533, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE "ENHANCED BASIC EDUCATION ACT OF 2013"October 10, 2024
11984AN ACT MANDATING PUBLIC AND PRIVATE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS TO ALLOW DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS WITH UNPAID TUITION AND OTHER SCHOOL FEES TO TAKE THE PERIODIC AND FINAL EXAMINATIONS AND FOR OTHER PURPOSESNo Permit, No Exam Prohibition ActMarch 11, 2024

Publications and Outputs

The cover of EDCOM 2's Year One Report EDCOM 2 Year One Report Cover.webp
The cover of EDCOM 2's Year One Report
The cover of EDCOM 2's Year Two Report EDCOM 2 Year Two Report Cover.webp
The cover of EDCOM 2's Year Two Report

Year One Report

On January 23, 2024, the commission published its Year One Report, entitled Miseducation: The Failed System of Philippine Education. The report highlighted the commission's findings in twelve out of its twenty-eight Priority Areas, following its first year of work. [12]

The report also contained 40 recommendations that target specific objectives by the commission.

Year Two Report

The Commission followed up its first report with its Year Two Report, entitled Fixing the Foundations: A Matter of National Survival, on January 27, 2025. In the report, the Commission advocated for addressing "foundational learning deficits in early childhood and primary education". [13] [14]

Among the findings that EDCOM II highlighted are the shortage of principals in more than half of public schools in the country, [15] that most Grade 3 students were one to two years behind curriculum expectations during the foundational years of learning, [16] government support to only 1.03% of the best and brightest students in the country, [17] the dismal attrition rate in higher education institutions, [18] that 62% of high school teachers teach subjects outside their college major, [19] and that Philippine government spending on education still fails to keep pace with global standards, [20] with basic education receiving the lowest share in the budget, despite its foundational role.

Final Report (Upcoming)

The Commission is set to launch its final report in the Fourth Quarter of 2025. [21] This is in line with RA 11899's mandate to "report to Congress its accomplishments on a periodic basis, its findings and recommendations on actions to be taken by Congress, the departments, and other government agencies concerned with education, and provide a final report at the end of the existence of the Commission." [22]

Other Publications

Partners and Stakeholders

EDCOM 2 has partnered extensively with academic institutions, civil society organizations, diplomatic missions, and government organizations to fulfill its mandate. [24] Select partners include:

Commissioned Studies

The Commission's partnerships have produced several studies devoted to education.

Research PartnerTopicTitle of Study
Philippine Institute for Development Studies Basic EducationLow Fertility, Ageing Buildings, and School Congestion in the Philippines: Tailwinds, Headwinds, and Some Policy Options
Basic EducationHome and School Environment Component: Sense of Belongingness and Bullying for the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2)
Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD)Behind the Slow Start: An Assessment of Early Childhood Care and Development in the Philippines
Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD)Beyond Parents and Guardians: Mapping and Mobilizing the ‘Significant Others’ in Early Childhood Care and Development in the Philippines
Higher EducationExpansions, Quality, and Affirmative Action in Public Higher Education Institutions
Higher EducationAn Evaluation of the Tertiary Education Subsidy Program: Context, Input, Process, and Product
Higher EducationStrengthening CHED’s Developmental and Regulatory Capacity
Higher EducationHazard and Incidence of Exits of Ever-Enrolled College-Age Students
Higher EducationStrengthening Tertiary Enrollment through Financial Aid: Insights from a Survey in Cagayan Valley
Higher EducationEconomics of Satellite Campuses
Higher EducationCross-Border Student Mobility and Improvements in the Philippine Tertiary Education Program Relevance and Learning Outcomes
Higher EducationReview of CHED Policies, Standards, and Guidelines (PSGs) Pre- and Post-K to 12 Reforms
Governance and FinanceThe Impact of Trifocalization on Philippine Education Outcomes and the Coordination Issue
Governance and FinanceGovernment Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE)
Technical-Vocational Education and Training & Lifelong LearningAn Assessment of the Enterprise-Based Training Modality in the Philippines: Barriers, Incentives, and Policy Gaps
Technical-Vocational Education and Training & Lifelong LearningReview of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Scholarship Programs in Targeting the Poor
Technical-Vocational Education and Training & Lifelong LearningAssessing the Current and Future Middle Skills in the Philippines: Inputs for Policy Agenda
Technical-Vocational Education and Training & Lifelong LearningMeasuring the Impacts of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) on Wage Outcomes in the Philippines
Technical-Vocational Education and Training & Lifelong LearningExamining the Effects of Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) on Employment Outcomes in the Philippines
Teacher EducationMapping Excellence in Teacher Education: The Role of Centers of Excellence in Teacher Quality
Teacher EducationQuality Education Starting with Teacher Education
Teacher EducationRevitalizing the Philippine Education System: Facilitating Access and Participation to In-Service Training (INSET) and Teacher Professional Development (TPD)
Basic EducationEarly Harm, Lasting Impact - The Effect of Parental Violence on Educational Outcomes Among Filipino Children
Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD)Sustain the Gains: An Assessment of Nurturing Care Outcomes in the Next 1,000 Days
De La Salle University Teacher EducationSystematic Review of Professional Development Programs for Teachers in the Philippines
Higher EducationEstablishing Targeted Human Resource Development Partnerships between the Philippines’ First Tier Research-Intensive HEIs and Second Tier Research Intensive SUCs
Basic EducationDevelopment of a Visualization Tool for Understanding PISA Bullying Data in Educational Atmospheres in the Philippines
Basic EducationExploring School Environments in the Philippines using the PISA 2018 Dataset
Basic EducationSchool Structure, Perceived Climate, Student Characteristics, and Adult Support Predictors of Exposure to Bullying and Sense of Belongingness Based on PISA 2018
Basic EducationBullying Experiences of Filipino Students: A Scoping Review
Basic EducationDeveloping a Model for Safe and Supportive Learning Environments: A Scoping Review
Basic EducationTech-Mediated Learning Resources for Developing Foundational Reading Literacy Skills in K to 3: Literature Review, Infrastructure Situation, Materials (9) Availability Review, and Policy Recommendations For Philippine Schools
Basic EducationAre K to 12 Students in the Philippines Overworked— by Design?
University of the Philippines President Edgardo J. Angara (UPPEJA) FellowshipGovernance and FinanceDecentralization and Participatory Governance in Education Systems: From Global Experience and Lessons for the Philippines
Governance and FinanceUnderstanding Systems, Creative Strategies, and Enabling Leadership: A Systems Thinking Approach for More Effective Delivery of Educational Services
Governance and FinanceInnovations in School Governance
Governance and FinanceKakayanin Natin: Empowering Citizens to Participate in Improving Education Governance in the Philippines
Basic EducationGovernance Cultures, Perspectives & Practices in Philippine Basic Education Settings: Focus on Teacher-In Service Training and Development
Technical-Vocational Education and Training & Lifelong LearningLifelong Learning Thru Seamless Integrated Learning Ecosystems
Higher EducationNavigating the Generative Artificial Intelligence Era: Charting the Course for Curricular Reform in Higher Education in the Philippines
Technical-Vocational Education and Training & Lifelong LearningEconomic Complexity, Human Capital Development and Industrial Policy in the Philippines
Higher EducationStrengthening HAEIs' Programs on Entrepreneurship for Greater Contribution Towards Agriculture and Fisheries Productivity
Technical-Vocational Education and Training & Lifelong LearningDeveloping Regional Economic Complexity through Product Specialization
Higher EducationLeveraging Higher Education to Resolve Healthcare Constraints
Technical-Vocational Education and Training & Lifelong LearningCultivating Innovation in the Philippines by Addressing Policy Gaps and Creating Pathways for Collaborative Progress between Academe and Industry
Basic EducationUsing Artificial Intelligence to Support Basic Education Teachers in Under-resourced Contexts
Higher EducationExploring Socialized Tuition as an Alternative to Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA)
Higher EducationFrom Pixels to Policies: GIS Analysis of Education Access Points and Disparities
Technical-Vocational Education and Training & Lifelong LearningUnderstanding Labor Market Outcomes of Graduates in the Informal Economy
Technical-Vocational Education and Training & Lifelong LearningNavigating/Negotiating the Lifelong Learning Terrain in the Philippines: Path of Optimism and Caution
Technical-Vocational Education and Training & Lifelong LearningEnabling Young Filipinos to Dream Big and Achieve Bigger: Centering Youth Aspirations in Education Reform
The Asia Foundation Governance and FinanceRealizing Shared Governance Decentralization of Philippine Basic Education
Philippine Business for Education (PBEd)Basic EducationOptions for Improving DepEd Procurement of Textbooks, TVL Resources and Assessment Services

References

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain : "Miseducation: The Failed System of Philippine Education. EDCOM II One Year Report" (PDF). Second Congressional Commission on Education. 2024. Retrieved 6 August 2025.

  1. ↑ "[WATCH] In The Public Square with John Nery: Is EdCom II the answer?". RAPPLER. 2023-02-22. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  2. ↑ "The Second Congressional Commission on Education". EDCOM 2. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  3. ↑ Chi, Cristina. "Bill creating EDCOM II lapses into law". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  4. ↑ "EDCOM 2 to conduct full assessment of PH education system in next 3 years—Angara". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved 2023-03-16.
  5. ↑ Magsambol, Bonz (2025-01-28). "Rappler Talk: 'Fixing the foundations' of an education system in crisis". RAPPLER. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
  6. 1 2 Cynthia, Ma & Bautista, Rose & Bernardo, Allan & Ocampo, Dina Joana. (2010). When Reforms Don't Transform: Reflections on institutional reforms in the Department of Education.
  7. 1 2 Juan, Ratziel San. "DepEd welcomes PISA results, recognizes 'gaps' in education quality". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
  8. ↑ Vera, Ben O. de (2022-07-23). "WB: PH 'learning poverty' among highest in region". INQUIRER.net. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
  9. ↑ "The cost of illiteracy: Why the education system in Philippines is failing millions". DevelopmentAid. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
  10. ↑ Hernando-Malipot, Merlina (December 6, 2023). "2022 PISA results a 'clear indication' that PH education system is in 'worst state' --- PBEd".
  11. 1 2 "Republic Act No. 11899". lawphil.net. Retrieved 2025-08-05.PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain .
  12. ↑ "Edcom 2 releases Year One report". The Manila Times. 2024-01-31. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
  13. ↑ "PBBM to DepEd, EDCOM II: Work together to address gaps". SunStar Publishing Inc. 2025-02-04. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  14. ↑ "Fixing the Foundations: A Matter of National Survival". EDCOM 2 Year Two Report. January 27, 2025. ISSN   3027-9976.
  15. ↑ Reyes, Dempsey (2025-01-28). "Edcom: Almost 25,000 public schools have no principals". inquirer.net. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  16. ↑ "Latest EDCOM 2 Report calls for systemic change in Philippine education". IDinsight. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  17. ↑ Serquiña, Mariel Celine (2025-01-28). "Half of Pisay passers unable to enroll due to limited slots". GMA News Online. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  18. ↑ "Higher College Enrollment but Still High Dropout Rate in College Since Free Tuition Law". phkule.org. 2025-02-14. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  19. ↑ Chi, Cristina. "62% of high school teachers teaching outside their field, new report reveals". Philstar.com. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  20. ↑ Magsambol, Bonz (2025-02-04). "Decades on, Philippines' education spending still not enough". RAPPLER. Retrieved 2025-02-18.
  21. ↑ "EDCOM 2 - The EDCOM 2 Final Report". EDCOM 2. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
  22. ↑ "Republic Act No. 11899". lawphil.net. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
  23. 1 2 "Marcos wants gov't to develop semiconductor industry". www.pna.gov.ph. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
  24. ↑ "Partners". EDCOM 2. Retrieved 2025-07-16.
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