President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has approved a P700-million funding request for the establishment of child development centers (CDCs) in 4th and 5th class municipalities across the country.

Marcos emphasized that the funding will support low-income barangays that lack sufficient resources to implement early childhood development initiatives.

“Gawin na natin ito (Let’s do this). I am thinking the daycare centers can also be CDCs. Ganoon na rin ‘yun eh (It's essentially the same thing). You have the same kind of training for the people. The kids are there,” Marcos said during a sectoral meeting in Malacañang with the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) and other agencies on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has committed to funding the establishment of CDCs this year.

During the meeting, Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara stated that P700 million, which will be channeled through the Local Government Support Fund (LGSF), will finance the development of CDCs in every municipality.

Angara described the establishment of CDCs as a cost-effective initiative and a crucial investment in the country’s education sector.

EDCOM 2’s Year Two Report revealed that around 5,800 barangays still do not have CDCs, despite a 1990 law requiring each barangay to have at least one. Of these, 229 belong to low-income local government units (LGUs).

The Early Years Act of 2013 mandates LGUs to fund the creation of CDCs. However, many 4th and 5th class municipalities lack the financial resources to do so.

During the sectoral meeting, it was also noted that EDCOM 2 will collaborate with the Commission on Higher Education, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council to increase the number of early childhood education graduates in regions facing shortages.

This aligns with EDCOM 2’s mission to “fix the foundations” of the education system, focusing on early childhood education, nutrition, and early-grade literacy and numeracy.

“By fixing the foundations — nutrition, early childhood education, literacy and numeracy by Grade 3 — we will ensure that our reforms are strategic, targeted, and enduring,” EDCOM 2 Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee said.

Recognizing the challenges in the education sector, Marcos expressed satisfaction that many of the concerns raised had been addressed.

“We’ve been talking about economic development, we’ve been talking about inflation, agriculture, et cetera. It’s time to shift focus to education. That’s our only hope for the future,” he said.

Recently, the bicameral conference committee ratified the consolidated versions of House Bill No. 10142 and Senate Bill No. 2575, also known as the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Act.

The ratified bill introduces comprehensive measures to enhance early childhood education, including improvements in health, nutrition, and social services for children from birth to four years old.

EDCOM 2 was established through Republic Act 11899, which lapsed into law on 23 July 2022. It is chaired by Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, co-chaired by Senate President Francis Escudero, and includes Representatives Roman Romulo (Pasig City) and Mark Go (Baguio).

The commission is tasked with conducting a comprehensive national assessment and evaluation of the education sector’s performance.