Manila: Senators adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 21 on Tuesday, formally urging the establishment of a Cabinet Cluster for Education. This initiative aims to streamline and harmonize policies across the country's education agencies in response to increasing concerns over learning outcomes and systemic inefficiencies.
According to Philippines News Agency, the resolution, sponsored by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, seeks to create a high-level inter-agency mechanism. This mechanism will ensure the cohesive implementation of education laws, reforms, and programs across various bodies, including the Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
Gatchalian emphasized the importance of this step in addressing the education crisis, stating that the Cabinet Cluster would ensure that policies are well-coordinated and effective. The proposal, approved in principle by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in August 2024, aims to develop a long-term integrated national education and workforce development plan. This plan will align learning outcomes with labor market needs and national priorities.
Gatchalian, also a co-chair of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), highlighted the issues resulting from the current tri-focalized education structure, which was established in the 1990s. He noted that this structure has led to fragmented governance, overlapping initiatives, and missed opportunities for synergy.
Co-sponsoring the measure, EDCOM II commissioners Senators Loren Legarda and Joel Villanueva stressed the urgency of unifying the education bureaucracy. Legarda pointed out that inefficiencies from uncoordinated strategies disproportionately affect the country's poorest learners, while Villanueva, a former TESDA director-general, cited the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey. This survey revealed that 5.58 million high school graduates and 19 million Filipinos aged 10 to 64 lack functional literacy, underscoring the need for integrated efforts, especially with the growing impact of artificial intelligence on the workforce.
