Andrie Hans Bayon

To professionalize the country’s early childhood care workforce, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) approved the National Certification (NC) III for Child Development Workers (CDWs) on May 28.


Senator Win Gatchalian, co-chairperson of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), said that TESDA’s NC III for CDWs has been long overdue in redressing and strengthening the early childhood care and education system of the country. 

“Many of our CDWs lack the tools, training, and compensation they need. This certification is a vital step toward their professionalization,” he said. 

Gatchalian reiterated that the certification will address challenges and lasting gaps in terms of its qualifications and support provided to more than 68,000 CDWs nationwide. 

“Many of our CDWs lack the tools, training, and compensation they need. This certification is a vital step toward their professionalization. If we want to improve the quality of early childhood education, we must first empower the people delivering it,” he stated. 

As per the commission’s Year One Report, it showed that only 16.8 percent of CDWs, or nearly 11,400 workers, have only finished high school, while 89 percent remain in non-permanent positions, earning an average monthly salary of just 5,000 pesos.

These findings pushed the EDCOM 2 to emphasize the need to ‘fix the foundation’ of education, focusing on early childhood nutrition, access to Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD), and literacy in the early grades.

In addition, Representative Roman Romulo, EDCOM 2 co-chairperson, highlighted that CDWs are key to neutralizing the learning crisis in the country.

“You cannot fix learning outcomes in later years if the foundation is weak. CDWs are on the frontlines, and we owe them training, dignity, and a clear path to job security,” he stressed. 

Romulo also added that the certification will equip CDWs' skills in early childhood education, center management, and child development, which will enhance care and instruction for young children.

“This is more than a policy win – it’s an investment in our country’s future,” Romulo noted in a statement. 

EDCOM 2 has already credited the 80 million pesos earmarked in the 2025 budget for NC III training scholarships to Gatchalian’s advocacy in the Senate.

To support the implementation, TESDA launched its Regional Lead Trainers’ Development Program, set to conclude alongside the NC III rollout on May 28.

The new certification fulfills the mandate of the recently enacted RA 12199 or the ECCD System Act, which calls for upgraded training, compensation, and continuous professional development for CDWs and child development teachers.