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Business group press Congress to pass EDCOM Bill
Makati City, PHILIPPINES – Advocacy group Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) called on legislators to pass the Education Commission (EDCOM) Bill in the remaining months of the 18th Congress. The EDCOM Bill seeks to create a non-permanent body that will review the current education sector and recommend reforms.
House Bill 10308 or the EDCOM Bill is the substitute bill filed by the Cong. Roman Romulo, the Chairperson of the House Committee on Basic Education. It is the product of the deliberations of his Committee earlier this year. It is expected that the bill will be heard and passed by Congress’ plenary body once it resumes session on 8 November 2021.
In an online press conference held today, PBEd expressed their hope on its passage “We have a small window of opportunity to pass the bill before Congress is taken over by the campaign period in February 2022. We will take this chance because this is a step towards resolving the learning crisis,” PBEd Executive Director Love Basillote said.
PBEd in January this year started using the term “learning crisis” to describe the poor performance of Filipino students in international student assessments. From there on, various personalities in business, education, and politics have used the same. For PBEd, this description puts the sense of urgency and enormity of the problem.
PBEd noted that there have been positive developments in education this year. For one, the enrollment rate in basic education this year has surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Second, face-to-face classes will finally start. And third, the EDCOM Bill has finally reached Congress’ Plenary.
Meanwhile, PBEd Chairman and Phinma Corporation President Ramon del Rosario, Jr. pushed that the EDCOM should be multi-sectoral. HB 10308 currently states that the EDCOM is composed solely of members of the House of Representatives and the Senate.
“Education stakeholders should be represented: the private sector, teachers, school leaders, education experts, and civic organizations are ready to work collaboratively with the national government and complement each other's effort in building and re-building the system,” del Rosario said. He emphasized the value of representation because it “ensures that practical and theoretical expertise from the ground are heard.”
PBEd urged President Duterte to certify as urgent the EDCOM Bill. “We are in a learning crisis unlike any other. NEDA has already partially computed the economic loss - Eleven (11) Trillion Pesos in reduction of future wages and productivity. I say partial because that only accounts for zero face-to-face classes in 2020 and 2021. We call on the President to certify as urgent the EDCOM Bill. This will signal that the government is serious in addressing the learning crisis,” Ms. Basillote said.
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About PBEd A non-profit organization founded in 2006 by top CEOs in the country, PBEd is the business community’s response to the need for greater education and economy alignment. Its advocacies include teacher quality improvement and workforce development.