In January 2026, the Second Congressional Commission on Education — known as EDCOM II — released its landmark report on the state of Philippine education. It is the most comprehensive official assessment of the country's education system in a generation, and its findings are both urgent and damning.
If you work in education, philanthropy, business, or public policy in the Philippines, this report matters enormously. Here is what you need to know.
What is EDCOM II?
EDCOM II is the Second Congressional Commission on Education, established by the Philippine Congress to conduct a thorough review of the country's education system from basic education through higher education. It follows the original EDCOM report of 1991 — meaning it took over three decades for the Philippine government to commission a similar comprehensive review.
The commission was composed of legislators, education experts, civil society representatives, and technical researchers. Its mandate was to assess what is working, what is not, and what structural changes are needed to address the Philippines' deepening education crisis.
Key context: The EDCOM II report was released against the backdrop of the Philippines ranking 77th of 81 nations in PISA 2022, with 91% of 10-year-olds unable to read proficiently — the worst performance in the country's post-independence history.
The Key Findings
1. A 39% skills mismatch in the workforce
EDCOM II found that 39% of Filipino workers are employed in jobs that require a different level of education than what they have — a massive inefficiency that reflects the failure of the education system to align with labour market needs. This mismatch directly threatens the $38 billion BPO industry and the broader economic competitiveness of the Philippines.
2. Teacher quality is the central challenge
The report identifies teacher quality — not infrastructure, not technology, not funding alone — as the single most important lever for improving learning outcomes. Filipino teachers are underpaid, undertrained in modern pedagogical methods, and overburdened with administrative tasks that take time away from actual teaching.
3. The curriculum has prioritised breadth over depth
Philippine students are taught an enormous number of subjects but develop deep competency in few. The report specifically calls out the lack of focus on higher-order thinking skills — critical analysis, synthesis, communication, and creative problem-solving — in favour of rote memorisation and surface-level recall.
4. Learning poverty is systemic, not incidental
The 91% learning poverty rate is not the result of individual failures or regional variations. EDCOM II found it to be a systemic outcome of curriculum design, pedagogical approaches, and assessment practices that do not prioritise or effectively develop foundational literacy and numeracy.
The Key Recommendations
EDCOM II's recommendations are extensive, but the most significant include:
- Restructure teacher compensation to attract and retain high-calibre educators
- Reform pre-service teacher education to prioritise evidence-based instructional methods
- Reduce curriculum overload and focus on depth of mastery in core competencies
- Strengthen the MATATAG curriculum reform with proper implementation support and teacher training
- Invest in early literacy interventions targeting reading proficiency by Grade 3
- Establish rigorous, regular national assessments to track learning outcomes at scale
What is the MATATAG Curriculum?
MATATAG is the Department of Education's new K-10 curriculum framework, introduced under DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte and refined under subsequent administrations. It aims to reduce curriculum content, strengthen foundational skills, and make the curriculum more relevant to Philippine society and the modern economy.
EDCOM II broadly supports the MATATAG direction but notes that curriculum reform alone is insufficient without corresponding reforms in teacher training, assessment, and resourcing.
Why This Matters for Donors and Partners
The EDCOM II report is significant for anyone considering investing in Philippine education. It provides the most credible, data-driven picture of where the gaps are largest and where interventions are most urgently needed.
The report's emphasis on higher-order thinking skills, critical analysis, and communication directly validates the focus of Malaya Initiative Foundation. These are the skills where the Philippines ranks lowest globally — bottom 4 in PISA creative thinking — and where the existing landscape of education nonprofits and government programs has the least presence.
"The numbers give us the push to drive meaningful change. What's missing is focused investment in the higher-order skills that transform students into globally competitive workers and engaged citizens."
Sources: Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) Report, January 2026 — edcom2.gov.ph; PISA 2022 Assessment; Department of Education Philippines.