The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) has urged a 10-year reform plan to address the country’s worsening education crisis.
“Kailangan po sa lalim na problema inipon natin ng halos tatlong dekada, we need at least 10 years. It is a decade of necessary reform,” EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark Yee said in a radio interview on Sunday.
EDCOM 2 is set to submit its third and final report on January 19, which includes a national education plan.
Yee said recommendations will begin implementation within two years by the Department of Education (DepEd), Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). These cover the annual need for additional teachers and classrooms.
“Para sa bawat taon na nagkulang, alam natin kung ano ang balanse, alam natin kung kailan kailangan dagdagan pa ang pondo,” Yee explained, adding, “For the next two years, sisisiguraduhin ng EDCOM na hindi nagkulang sa implementation.”
In September 2025, EDCOM 2 reported a shortage of 165,000 classrooms nationwide, forcing kindergarteners to attend classes at dawn or stay home.
Yee also noted that frequent suspensions due to holidays, weather, or extreme heat have disrupted learning.
“Nakita last year, sa isang taon halos isang buong quarter ubos. Talagang walang natitira… nakikita natin 30 to 50 days talagang suspended ang klase sa isang taon,” he said.
By December 2025, EDCOM 2 warned of a severe foundational learning crisis, with 85 percent of Grade 1 to 3 pupils struggling to read.
The commission stressed that long-term reforms are essential to reverse decades of decline and secure the future of Philippine education.