In order to address the learning crisis in the country, the Philippine private sector underscored the need to convene a Joint Congressional Education Commission or “EdCom.”
Advocacy group Philippine Business for Education (PBEd), in a statement issued Tuesday, April 27, expressed that the country’s business community is offering its support of Congress’ plan to convene an EdCom.
“We are enthusiastic that our legislators have continually supported the education sector,” PBEd Executive Director Love Basillote said.
PBEd noted that a number of resolutions have already been filed in both Houses of Congress creating the said body.
In the resolutions that were filed, the EdCom is tasked to produce a set systemic and strategic long-term policy recommendations.
“We hope that congressional hearings will be held on the EdCom resolutions as soon as possible so that we can set up an EdCom that meets the needs of our education system,” Basillote explained.
Business groups, PBEd said, have expressed the urgency of addressing the learning crisis and convening a new EdCom is a “critical response to the crisis.”
PBEd, on March 29, PBEd held a joint membership meeting with the Makati Business Club, Management Association of the Philippines, Employers Confederation of the Philippines, and the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
During the said meeting, PBEd noted that over 250 business leaders expressed interest in and support of convening government-led, multisectoral EdCom.
“We believe that convening the EdCom now is an immediate response to the learning crisis,” Basillote stressed. “We understand that we can only overcome the crisis when we work together with Congress,” she added.
Basillote noted that just like how collective efforts of organizations were instrumental in elevating teachers in the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) vaccine priority list, “we need the same kind of energy to move bigger reforms.”
Meanwhile, PBEd said that the private sector is also calling for an EdCom that has the participation of relevant agencies and various stakeholders.
PBEd said that for its part, the private sector will lend its experience and expertise on the various topics for the EdCom which include education financing, decentralization, public-private education complementarity, assessments, digital transformation of education for equity, and industry-academe linkages in standards, training, and employment.