Manila: Seventy-six child development centers are set to be constructed in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) as part of a nationwide initiative to enhance early childhood care, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced.

According to Philippines News Agency, Budget Secretary Amenah Pangandaman revealed during a post-State of the Nation Address (SONA) briefing that the Education Commission 2 (EDCOM II) has identified a significant shortage of child development centers in the country. In response, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has approved the construction of over 300 centers nationwide, with 89 in Luzon, 106 in Visayas, and 133 in Mindanao, including 76 in the Bangsamoro Region.

Each center will receive PHP3 million for infrastructure, as noted by Pangandaman, who co-chairs the Intergovernmental Relations Body (IGRB) for the national government. The IGRB serves as a collaborative mechanism between the national and BARMM governments to advance Bangsamoro’s peace and development goals. A joint memorandum with the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council has been signed to facilitate the program.

Pangandaman mentioned that an agreement with local government units, who are the beneficiaries, would be signed later in the day to commence the project. In his recent SONA, President Marcos committed to constructing 44,000 additional classrooms by 2028 and urged Congress for support. Nearly 22,000 classrooms have been opened in the past three years under his administration.

The president also emphasized other educational initiatives, such as the Early Childhood Care and Development program and the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program, aimed at equipping Kindergarten to Grade 10 learners with essential skills.