Education agencies and lawmakers are pushing for the extension of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2), citing the ‘momentum’ it gained over the past three years since it was established.
In the Senate, the Edcom said Senators Loren Legarda and Risa Hontiveros filed separate bills extending the commission for another two years after its term was set to expire on Dec. 31 this year while at the House of Representatives, Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo and Tingog Rep. Jude Acidre, who are both co-chairpersons of the commission, filed their respective bills as well.
‘The push for extension is gaining momentum as lawmakers in both chambers have filed legislation to ensure that Edcom 2’s extensive research and policy recommendations translate into long-term, systemic improvements for the Philippine education system,’ the commission said in a statement.
Legarda, during an Edcom hearing on Wednesday, hailed Edcom for doing ‘wonderful work’ and hopes that the commission will be able to sustain its ‘policy momentum’ once its operations have been extended.
Even the key education agencies of the government have also backed the extension of the Edcom, according to the commission, citing how its data has helped them in improving their policies for students, teachers and even education workers.
‘Overwhelmingly, the data that is being generated by Edcom is really very helpful to us in terms of planning and setting priorities,’ said Shirley Agrupis, chair of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd).
Francisco Benitez, chair of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (Tesda), also supported the measures filed in the Senate and the House to give Edcom another set of two years. Benitez noted that the studies by Edcom have already helped them in looking into their own backyard such as its bureaucratic concerns.
As for the Department of Education (DepEd), they noted how Edcom’s gathered data has helped them shape their policies and how it became ‘instrumental’ in forming a connection between them, Tesda and CHEd. Edcom is an independent government body tasked to oversee the Philippine education system, coming up with annual reports that exposes the persistent challenges faced by the country such as the lack of personnel and teacher positions in public schools, shortages in classrooms, the mismatch of degree holders to the careers they have entered and even the process of textbook procurement.