Manila, Philippines – The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) is set to implement new programs aimed at improving the capabilities of child development workers (CDWs) in the Philippines, as announced by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday.
According to Philippines News Agency, Senator Gatchalian, who chairs the Committee on Finance, confirmed the committee's approval of his proposal for allocating funds under the 2024 General Appropriations Act specifically for the upskilling of CDWs. This move is part of a broader strategy to strengthen early childhood care and education in the country. The special provision proposed by Senator Gatchalian mandates TESDA to prioritize the development of a training regulation for qualification in the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council. This regulation is intended to encompass both existing and future CDWs.
Senator Gatchalian highlighted the current educational background of the CDW workforce, noting that 16 percent, or approximately 11,196 of the total CDWs, are high school graduates. He emphasized the importance of ECCD and the need for CDWs to have a defined set of skills and competencies, especially for primary caregiving roles.
The senator also pointed out the successful implementation of a similar training regulation by TESDA for barangay health workers, suggesting that a comparable approach could be beneficial for CDWs. Additionally, Gatchalian is the author of the Basic Education and Early Childhood Education Alignment Act (Senate Bill No. 2029), which aims to align the ECCD curriculum with the K to 12 basic education curriculum and to increase local government accountability in implementing ECCD programs. This includes striving for universal ECCD system coverage and augmenting funds and resources.
The proposed enhancements to the training and qualification of CDWs are expected to significantly improve the quality of early childhood care and education in the Philippines.
