Manila: The Senate on Monday adopted Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) No. 8, establishing the National Education and Workforce Development Plan (2026-2035) as the definitive policy framework for education reform over the next decade.
According to Philippines News Agency, the 10-year national plan was submitted to the Senate by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) on January 27. EDCOM II co-chairperson Senator Bam Aquino stated that the resolution ratifies the comprehensive recommendations of EDCOM II aimed at addressing the nation's education crisis through a harmonized and strategic whole-of-nation approach.
The adoption of the resolution marks the culmination of three years of extensive research, consultations, and policy analysis conducted by the Commission. The national plan aims to put an end to "mass promotion" in schools, calling for the full implementation of academic recovery programs, a review of performance management systems, and the phaseout of the Department of Education's grade transmutation policy.
The framework emphasizes investments in the "First 1,000 Days" of learners by increasing resources for school-based feeding programs and expanding access to early childhood education and development. The legislative action formally adopts EDCOM II's Final Report, titled "Turning Point, A Decade of Necessary Reform (2026-2035)," as the principal guide for the government's education and workforce development reforms.
Building on the Commission's previous diagnostic reports, "Miseducation: The Failed System of the Philippine Education" and "Fixing the Foundations," the roadmap documents the systemic challenges facing the sector. Financially, the plan targets investing at least 5 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in foundational education components to ensure fiscal sustainability for these reforms.
SCR 8 emphasizes that long-term education and workforce reforms require policy continuity beyond administrative changes and budget cycles, ensuring alignment between legislative agendas and executive policies with a strategic evidence-based plan. Under the newly adopted resolution, the legislative agenda and the Executive Branch will be guided by twenty specific priorities designed to overhaul the system.
The resolution calls for urgent action on classroom backlogs through public-private partnerships and vouchers, alongside a commitment to provide equitable internet connectivity for schools and teachers. It also seeks to reduce administrative burdens and address the misalignment of teacher specializations.
Additionally, the resolution mandates the entire Executive Branch to align its policies, regulations, and programs with the National Education and Workforce Development Plan. SFR 8 requires both the House of Representatives and the Senate to ensure budgetary prioritization and exercise strict oversight over the attainment of these key priority reforms.
