Legarda sponsors bill extending EDCOM II to December 2027
At A Glance
- Senator Loren Legarda has sponsored the bill seeking to extend the mandate of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) until December 2027, underscoring the Commission's sustained momentum and its role in driving evidence-based reforms in the education sector.
Senator Loren Legarda has sponsored the bill seeking to extend the mandate of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) until December 2027, underscoring the Commission’s sustained momentum and its role in driving evidence-based reforms in the education sector.
In sponsoring Senate Bill No. 1483, Legarda emphasized that EDCOM II has not merely produced analysis, but has directly influenced legislation, financing and inter-agency coordination.
“The Commission brought together national agencies, local governments, schools, research institutions, and civil society partners to translate evidence into reform,” said Legarda, who serves as co-chair of EDCOM II.
The senator noted that during the 19th Congress, EDCOM II’s work contributed to the passage of 10 education-related laws.
In the 20th Congress, EDCOM II supports the development of six priority measures listed under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), alongside other proposals aimed at strengthening access, equity, and quality.
Legarda said she is committed to advancing key reforms proposed by EDCOM II’s research, including the “Last Mile Schools” bill and the modernization of the charters of the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
“EDCOM II has functioned both as a think tank and as a coordinating body, building trust and consensus among agencies, teachers, parents, and policymakers,” Legarda said, citing the Commission’s joint meeting with Department of Education (DepEd), CHED, and TESDA, and its role in helping establish the Education and Workforce Development Group under Administrative Order No. 36.
While its mandate under Republic Act No. 11899 concludes in December 2025, Legarda said EDCOM II has yet to enter a period of winding down.
“Instead, it continues to move with full momentum, compelled by the understanding that while much has been achieved, significant work remains to build the education system our people deserve,” she said.
“We are at a moment when progress is within reach. The work has direction. The coordination is in place. The momentum is real. It is only right that we see it through,” she further said.