Senator Loren Legarda has sponsored Senate Bill No. 1483, seeking to extend the mandate of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) until December 2027. The move is intended to sustain the Commission’s momentum in driving evidence-based reforms within the education sector.
Legarda, who serves as co-chair of EDCOM II, cited the Commission’s landmark reports, including “Miseducation: The Failed System of Philippine Education and Fixing the Foundations: A Matter of National Survival,” as “the most rigorous, data-informed diagnosis of our education system in recent memory.”
The four-term senator emphasized that EDCOM II has not just 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,” Legarda said.
The Commission’s work contributed to the passage of 10 education laws in the 19th Congress. In the current 20th Congress, EDCOM II supports the development of six priority measures listed under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council (LEDAC), along with other proposals aimed at strengthening access, equity and quality.
Legarda is committed to advancing key reforms informed 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).
Although its original mandate under Republic Act 11899 concludes in December 2025, Legarda clarified that EDCOM II continues to operate with “full momentum,” driven by the understanding that significant work remains.
“We are at a moment when progress is within reach,” Legarda said. “The work has direction. The coordination is in place. The momentum is real. It is only right that we see it through.”