THE Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) formally submitted its Final Report, “Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reform,” along with the National Education and Workforce Development Plan (NatPlan) 2026–2035, to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. at Malacañang Palace on Thursday. This marks the start of a ten-year, system-wide effort to overhaul Philippine education.
The NatPlan, built on three years of nationwide, evidence-based evaluation, is designed to guide education policy, priority legislation, and budgetary investments across administrations. EDCOM II’s Final Report presents a stark finding: a severe “proficiency collapse” that worsens as learners move through basic education.
In response, the NatPlan lays out a focused reform agenda aimed at restoring foundational learning and stopping these losses from cascading through the system. For Fiscal Year 2026, Congress allocated ₱1.37 trillion for education—the highest in Philippine history and the first time the country has met the United Nations benchmark of 4.4 percent of gross domestic product for education spending.
Photos courtesy of Danica Sagayap.
