Education and the economy are victims of the scourge of Philippine society — the bicameral conference committee comprising members of both houses of Congress.

If you look into the illegal insertions of lawmakers in the final versions of the national budget since 1986 you will find that money intended for food and the basic education of the poor had been stolen.

The Filipino people face progress as well as challenges in education and their economic life. While the Philippines boasts a high literacy rate and a growing number of students enrolled in basic education, a learning crisis persists with many children falling behind in their education.

A significant portion of children struggle to learn reading and comprehension skills.

Let us delve into very important education statistics, enrollment trends, literacy rates and other global and local challenges.

Enrollment in basic education has steadily increased, particularly after the implementation of the K-12 curriculum.

Education is crucial for economic and social progress, raising productivity, promoting entrepreneurship, and improving income distribution.

But our education sector suffers from insufficient funding that impacts on school resources, teacher salaries, and the ability to implement reforms.

The learning crisis hinders the potential of young Filipinos, jeopardizing the nation’s future economic prospects.

Around 50 percent of out-of-school youth come from the poorest families, highlighting the socioeconomic barriers to education.

The Philippines has experienced strong domestic growth, but global economic challenges as usual always dampened its prospects.

Economically, the country faces challenges with income inequality and poverty, though it has also seen strong domestic growth.

A significant gap exists between the rich and the poor, and poverty remains a persistent issue.

In the Philippines, women have better access to education and public office compared to many other Asian countries, but structural inequalities persist between ethnic groups.

Republic Act 10911 was passed to penalize employers who refuse to hire workers based on age, a step towards anti-discrimination.

The Philippine government is implementing its eight-point socioeconomic agenda under the MTFF (Medium Term Fiscal Framework) that focuses on food security, improved transportation, affordable and clean energy, healthcare, social services, education, bureaucratic efficiency, and sound fiscal management.

The Philippine Development Plan (PDP) 2023-2028 promotes inclusive and sustainable development by focusing on deep economic and social transformation, jobs creation, poverty reduction, and building a resilient and prosperous society.

This is achieved through various strategies, including fostering a level playing field, enhancing strategic linkages, and promoting public-private-social partnership. The PDP also aims to address immediate concerns, longstanding constraints, and provide an enabling environment for growth.

Conclusion: Congress should focus on funding education to improve human capital, which in turn drives economic growth. Specifically, it should increase funding for teacher training and STEM education.

STEM education refers to an approach to teaching and learning that integrates the disciplines of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics. It aims to develop students’ critical thinking, problem-solving, collaborative skills by applying these four subjects to real-world problems.

Congress can increase the educational option by backpacking future funding to children and allowing parents to choose the education option that best suits the learners.