Press Release
June 20, 2022

Gatchalian affirms support for incoming DepEd admin; vows focus vs. education crisis

To effectively address the crisis hounding the education sector, Senator Win Gatchalian affirms his commitment to support and work with Vice President-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio who is set to lead the Department of Education (DepEd).

Duterte-Carpio took her oath of office yesterday, June 19, in Davao City.

For Gatchalian, who is set to retain his chairmanship of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Arts and Culture in the 19th Congress, the DepEd's immediate priority should be the recovery of the basic education sector from the COVID-19 pandemic's impact. The lawmaker cites the need to focus on improving the performance of the country's learners.

To jumpstart the basic education sector's recovery, Gatchalian is pushing for the full reopening of all schools, child development centers, and Alternative Learning System (ALS) community learning centers by August. Gatchalian also emphasizes the need to implement learning recovery programs focused on reading and numeracy to address learning loss.

"Sa pagpasok ng bagong administrasyon, tututukan natin ang pagbangon ng sektor ng edukasyon mula sa pinsalang dinulot ng pandemya. Makikipagtulungan tayo sa Department of Education sa pangunguna ng ating Pangalawang Pangulo upang mabuksan nang ligtas ang ating mga paaralan, at matiyak na maihahatid natin sa kabataang Pilipino ang dekalidad na edukasyon," said Gatchalian.

Using pre-pandemic data, the World Bank estimates that learning poverty in the country for 2021 is at 90.5%. Learning poverty is defined as the percentage of children aged 10 who cannot read or understand a simple story.

According to a December 2021 report by UNICEF, the World Bank, and the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), learning poverty in lower-middle income countries like the Philippines will increase by as much as 10% points because of pandemic school closures.

Since Duterte-Carpio garnered more than 61% of the votes in this year's national elections, Gatchalian reiterates that she has the political capital to implement the needed reforms in the basic education sector, including the decongestion of the K-12 basic education curriculum to focus on basic skills.

Gatchalian also cites the role of the proposed Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) in addressing the education crisis. Among the powers and functions of the EDCOM II is to recommend the improvement in the harmonization of policies and programs of the DepEd, the Commission on Higher Education, and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.


Papasok na pamunuan ng DepEd suportado ni Gatchalian; krisis sa edukasyon tututukan

Upang matugunan nang maigi ang krisis sa sektor ng edukasyon, ipinahayag ni Senador Win Gatchalian ang kanyang buong suporta kay Vice President-elect Sara Duterte-Carpio na nakatakdang mamuno sa Department of Education o DepEd.

Nanumpa si Duterte-Carpio bilang Pangalawang Pangulo kahapon, Hunyo 19, sa Davao City.

Para kay Gatchalian, ang pangunahing prayoridad dapat ng DepEd ay ang pagbangon ng sektor ng edukasyon mula sa pinsalang dulot ng pandemya ng COVID-19. Aniya, kailangan ding tutukan ang pagpapaigting sa performance ng mga mag-aaral sa bansa.

Upang masimulan ang pagbangon ng sektor ng edukasyon, isinusulong ni Gatchalian ang pagbubukas ng lahat ng mga paaralan, child development center, at mga Alternative Learning System (ALS) community learning center pagdating ng Agosto. Binigyang diin din ni Gatchalian ang pangangailangan sa mga learning recovery program na tututukan ang reading at numeracy upang matugunan ang banta ng learning loss o pag-urong ng kaalaman.

"Sa pagpasok ng bagong administrasyon, tututukan natin ang pagbangon ng sektor ng edukasyon mula sa pinsalang dinulot ng pandemya. Makikipagtulungan tayo sa Department of Education sa pangunguna ng ating Pangalawang Pangulo upang mabuksan nang ligtas ang ating mga paaralan, at matiyak na maihahatid natin sa kabataang Pilipino ang dekalidad na edukasyon," ani Gatchalian.

Batay sa nakalap na datos ng World Bank bago pa tumama ang pandemya, tinatayang umabot na sa mahigit siyamnapung porsyento ang learning poverty sa bansa noong 2021. Ang learning poverty ay ang porsyento ng mga batang sampung taong gulang na hindi marunong bumasa o umunawa ng simpleng kwento.

Ayon sa isang ulat na inilabas ng World Bank, UNICEF, at United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) noong 2021, pinangangambahang aakyat pa ng sampung porsyento ang learning poverty sa mga lower-middle income na bansa tulad ng Pilipinas dahil sa pagsasara ng mga paaralan.

Dahil natanggap ni Duterte-Carpio ang 61 porsyento ng mga boto nitong katatapos na halalan, binigyang diin ni Gatchalian na meron siyang political capital upang ipatupad ang mga kinakailangang reporma sa sistema ng edukasyon, kabilang ang pagrepaso sa K to 12 curriculum upang tutukan ang mga basic skills.

Binigyang diin din ni Gatchalian ang magiging papel ng panukalang Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) upang tugunan ang krisis sa edukasyon. Kabilang sa mga magiging tungkulin ng EDCOM II ang pagrekomenda ng pag-unlad ng ugnayan ng mga polisiya at programa ng DepEd, Commission on Higher Education, at Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.

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