The PHP6.326 trillion 2025 General Appropriations Act signed by President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Dec. 30, 2024 is a significant push for Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) programs, the 2nd Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) said Tuesday.<\/p>\n
In a statement, EDCOM II said the budget includes investments in upgrading the skills of Child Development Workers (CDWs) and the establishment of more Child Development Centers (CDCs) in underserved areas.<\/p>\n
The budget allocates PHP80 million for Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) scholarships aimed at CDWs, particularly those whose highest educational attainment is high school or lower.<\/p>\n
The initiative, in collaboration with the ECCD Council, seeks to upgrade the skills and qualifications of CDWs to improve early childhood education delivery nationwide.<\/p>\n
This move follows EDCOM findings on the lack of specialized training among CDWs.<\/p>\n
According to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), 16.8 percent of CDWs possess high school diplomas only, while 77 percent hold college-level qualifications unrelated to early childhood education.<\/p>\n
In addition to scholarships, the national budget sets aside PHP24 million for the establishment of CDCs in low-income municipalities, with a focus on fifth-class levels.<\/p>\n
The funding mandates the creation of at least eight new CDCs in priority villages without existing day care centers.<\/p>\n
The funds will support local government units in constructing CDC facilities and acquiring essential resources such as furniture, equipment, and educational materials.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy investing in the upskilling and reskilling of our child development workers, we are empowering them to provide better services and support to young learners,\u201d Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, who co-chairs EDCOM 2, said in a separate statement.<\/p>\n
EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark Yee, meanwhile, said the provisions laid out in the budget align with ongoing efforts to amend the Early Years Act of 2013.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese measures ensure a more localized and cohesive framework for early childhood education, paving the way for a stronger foundation for Filipino children,\u201d Yee said in another statement<\/p>\n
\u201cThese special provisions laid out in the General Appropriations Act form a strong foundation for the future of Early Childhood Care and Development programs in the country,\u201d he added. (PNA)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The 2025 Budget signals an essential push for Early Childhood Development. A step forward for education in the Philippines.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":255438,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[55],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-255437","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-latest-news"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t