EDITORIAL: Education Reset

IN his first privilege speech as chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, Senator Bam Aquino delivered a clarion call for urgent, strategic, and inclusive action to confront what he rightly identifies as the Philippine education crisis.

His proposed seven-point agenda offers not just critique, but a credible framework for reform—and it deserves not just applause but immediate implementation.

At the heart of Senator Aquino’s proposal is a “whole-of-nation” approach, recognizing that education is not the concern of one department or sector alone. One of his key proposals, the School-to-Employment Program (STEP) Act, aims to boost the employability of Senior High School graduates by allowing schools to revise their curricula to align more closely with labor market demands.

This long-overdue alignment between education and employment is a pragmatic response to the disconnection that has left many Filipino graduates jobless or underemployed.

Equally important is Senator Aquino’s push to raise the education budget to 4% of the country’s GDP, a target aligned with international standards set by the United Nations and other global bodies.

His optimism that this goal might be met—or even surpassed—by 2026 is encouraging, but it requires political will and fiscal prioritization from the executive and legislative branches alike.

Support from fellow senators signals the growing recognition of the depth of the crisis and the need for collaborative reform. Senator Win Gatchalian lauded Aquino’s depth of research and his “much targeted recommendations,” even describing him as a welcome new education champion in the Senate.

Senators Raffy Tulfo, Kiko Pangilinan, Robin Padilla, and Alan Peter Cayetano also aligned themselves with Aquino’s call, citing related concerns such as hunger, bullying, environmental awareness, and the urgent need for radical solutions.

Particularly noteworthy is the push for expanded school feeding programs, with Sen. Pangilinan urging the passage of the Libreng Almusal bill. This dovetails with Aquino’s agenda, which understands that no learning can happen if students are hungry, unsafe, or unsupported.

The Senate’s unified tone on this issue is rare—and refreshing. But words, no matter how well-meaning, must translate to measurable outcomes: higher literacy rates, improved international assessments, reduced dropout rates, and graduates who are both skilled and competitive.

Senator Aquino’s agenda is not just a plan—it is a lifeline. The challenge now is to transform that lifeline into lasting policy, sufficient funding, and results that every Filipino learner deserves. The crisis is real, but with unified leadership and urgent action, so is the hope of a radically reformed education system.