‘Fixing the foundations’: DepEd lauded for swift action on EDCOM recommendations

The Department of Education (DepEd) has earned praise for its prompt response to key recommendations from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), with stakeholders acknowledging its efforts to address long-standing issues in the country’s education system.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Feb. 12, EDCOM 2 commended President Marcos and DepEd for committing to allocate 15,000 new plantilla positions to ensure that every school has a principal, regardless of size.

In its Year Two Report, Fixing the Foundations, EDCOM 2 emphasized the urgent need to address the widespread shortage of school principals, noting that nearly 25,000 public schools nationwide lack one.

DepEd has since announced immediate measures to tackle this issue, aiming to deploy over 15,000 principals within the year.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2025/2/12/15-000-principals-in-2025

The interventions include appointing the 7,916 passers of the National Qualifying Exam for School Heads (NQESH), directing principals assigned to offices to return to their schools, and reallocating surplus principal positions to schools in need.

DepEd recently partnered with the National Electrification Administration to accelerate the electrification of last-mile schools.

READ:

https://mb.com.ph/2025/2/6/dep-ed-nea-team-up-to-energize-last-mile-schools

The EDCOM Year Two Report highlighted this issue, revealing that 1,500 out of 9,000 last-mile schools still lack electricity, with many located in Cotabato, Palawan, Sulu, and Zamboanga del Sur.

“The lack of school leaders and the persistence of infrastructure problems, such as the absence of electricity in remote areas, have been longstanding obstacles to providing quality education,” EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Senator Win Gatchalian said.

“Addressing these concerns is a significant step forward in ensuring that every public school in our country is a conducive space for learning,” he added.

EDCOM 2 Co-Chairperson Rep. Roman Romulo echoed this sentiment, stating, “Education is the foundation of our nation’s progress, and addressing these gaps is crucial to building a brighter future for all Filipinos.”

Romulo noted that the “swift action” taken by the President and DepEd reflects their “unwavering commitment to prioritizing education and uplifting the lives of our learners, especially those in the most marginalized communities.”

Established through Republic Act 11899, EDCOM 2 is a congressional body tasked with conducting a comprehensive national assessment of the Philippine education sector’s performance and proposing legislation to address the country’s education crisis.

EDCOM Executive Director Dr. Karol Mark Yee thanked the President and DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara, a former EDCOM Commissioner, for their “decisive leadership” in resolving these longstanding concerns in basic education.

“We commit to working closely with DepEd and supporting its continued efforts to address our learning crisis,” Yee added.

As it fulfills its mandate to review and recommend reforms in the Philippine education system, EDCOM 2 reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with DepEd to address remaining challenges and ensure that every Filipino child has access to quality education.

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https://mb.com.ph/2025/2/3/philippine-education-system-needs-urgent-fixing