INCREASED PUBLIC SPENDING ON EARLY CHILDHOOD CARE DEVELOPMENT
ANGELO C QUERUBIN
An increased public spending on early childhood care development (ECCD) and investing in services that significantly impact health, nutrition, and early education outcomes are now being urged by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).
Recently, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) showed underinvestment in ECCD, along with insufficient facilities and limited funding per child for health compared to other lower-middleincome countries.
In a statement, EDCOM 2 said government should follow the study's suggestion that more resources should be allocated to influence ECCD spending of local governments.
Other necessary actions needed to boost ECCD include investing in primary health care through the implementation of the Universal Health Care Act; reevaluating the implementation framework of government-led school feeding programs; and increasing the investment in health care workers to enhance their capacity to monitor mothers and children.
The Commissionnalso noted that early childhood care and education should be a shared responsibility between education stakeholders and other members of the communities.
Local government units (LGUs) should also have more accountability in ensuring that the benefits of ECCD programs, including health and nutrition interventions, are felt by every Filipino child.
LGUs should be heavily involved in ECCD programs because they are in a better position to implement those.
The quality of ECCD services is highly dependent on the financial and budget framework, resources, and political will of the LGU, the Commission said.
-OOoThe author is a TEACHER II at CAMBA ELEMENTARY SCHOOL