MANILA — A congressional body will begin within the month its review of the Philippines' education system, its co-chairperson Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian said Wednesday.

In a statement, Gatchalian said the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), which he co-chairs with Sen. Francis Escudero, was prepared to "perform its mandate to evaluate the Philippine education sector’s performance starting January 2023."

"Sa pagbubukas ng 2023, agaran nating sisimulan ang maigting na pagsusuri sa estado ng edukasyon sa ating bansa," he said.

(As we open 2023, we will immediately start our thorough review of the state of the country's education sector.)

"Sa pamamagitan ng EDCOM II, magpapanukala at magsusulong tayo ng mga repormang tutugon sa krisis na bumabalot sa sektor ng edukasyon," said Gatchalian, who also chairs the Senate basic education committee.

(Through EDCOM II, we will propose reforms that will address the crisis plaguing the education sector.)

Education advocates have raised concerns of a "learning crisis" in the country, citing poor learning outcomes and performance of Filipino students in international assessments.

The crisis worsened after the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to close and shift to less effective remote learning setups, they said.

• Group seeks comprehensive review of PH education system to curb 'learning crisis'
• Less than 15 pct of Filipino kids can read simple text at age 10: UNICEF

Pasig Mayor Vico Sotto and Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano were named EDCOM II policy advisors, representing local governments.

The panel also includes representatives from the academe, business sector and civil society groups.

The first EDCOM convened in 1991.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education is conducting its own review of the basic education curriculum.

• DepEd: K to 10 review completed, SHS review to begin November

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