Adi Joaquim Tolentino

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) curriculum is being changed to ensure smooth formal schooling for Filipino children.

Photo Courtesy of UNICEF Philippines.

At the World Bank Philippines Economic Update Development Dialogue on December 13, Angara stated they are working with local government units to resolve the nation’s disparities in ECCD to help the country grow.

“Local governments should have the power, purse, and personnel to shape the lives of their youngest constituents. We’ve seen visionary mayors who got creative with their Special Education Fund (SEF),” he noted in his speech. “They channel resources to children’s nutrition, daycare construction, and livelihood to parents.” 

He pointed out President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s directions that the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Health (DOH), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) should unite to give Filipino children a complete education, good health, and a nurturing environment.

“We need to invest more in the early years of our people to ensure that every Filipino child born today has the chance to dream, to learn, to grow, and to contribute to our nation’s progress,” he added.

As for the Fiscal Year 2025, the budget for ECCD has been increased by 12 percent amounting to P277 million which is focused on developing more child development centers.

“Early investments in human capital are hallmarks of a forward-looking society. We must not fall short of nurturing human capital at the onset,” he said.

The education chief also cited a United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) report, which showed that 78 percent of Filipino toddlers and 90 percent of children in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) lack access to early learning programs.

As the DepEd’s proposed budget of P748.6 billion was cut to 737 billion, an 11.6 billion decrease, efforts are still being made by President Marcos to restore it.