Manila: Senator Sherwin Gatchalian announced that the PHP80 million scholarship fund allocated under the 2025 national budget is crucial for enhancing the effectiveness of child development workers (CDWs) in their roles.

According to Philippines News Agency, Gatchalian, who serves as the chair of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, stated in a news release that the scholarship fund will support the upskilling and reskilling of CDWs. The PHP80 million budget is designated under the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) Promotion, Development, and Implementation of Quality Technical Education and Skills Development Programs.

The special provision prioritizes incumbent CDWs whose highest educational attainment is a high school diploma or lower. Gatchalian, who is also the co-chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), emphasized the importance of this step in aiding CDWs to fulfill their duties effectively.

The TESDA, in collaboration with the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council, will develop guidelines for implementing the scholarship program. Gatchalian highlighted that of the 68,080 CDWs nationwide, only 11,414 have completed secondary education. EDCOM II estimates that the scholarship program can assist approximately 2,854 CDWs in enhancing their professional capabilities.

The provision aligns with Senate Bill 2575 or the Early Childhood Care and Development Alignment Act, which Gatchalian authored and sponsored. The bill aims to achieve universal access to early child education and focuses on the upskilling and reskilling of CDWs. Under the proposed measure, incumbent CDWs are required to complete mandatory training programs on early childhood education or ECCD and obtain certification from TESDA, which will offer free assessment and certification.