PHILIPPINES, March 8 - Press Release
March 8, 2023

Education system needs accountability mechanisms - Sen. Angara

"We gave so much freedom, but there were very weak accountability mechanisms [in the education sector]", Sen. Sonny Angara said today during the organizational meeting of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) Standing Committee on Governance and Finance.

Sen. Angara, Co-Chairperson of the Standing Committee, and one of the Commissioners of EDCOM 2, opened the meeting with a speech that highlighted the need to build accountability systems "not only in terms of good government but also in terms of results". The senator cited as an example the numerous government scholarship programs that lacked accountability mechanisms.

Sen. Sonny also cited improvements to the sector through the years. "In the 1980s, for instance, during the first Aquino Presidency, we were spending around 2.4% of our GDP on education. And as we enter the second Marcos administration in the 2020s, we're spending about 3.7% of GDP, and we hit the high in 2018 of 3.9%."

Also present during the Standing Committee meeting were EDCOM 2 Co-Chairpersons Senator Sherwin Gatchalian and Rep. Roman Romulo, EDCOM 2 Commissioner and Standing Committee Co-Chairperson Rep. Khalid Dimaporo, Advisory Council members Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, Mr. Fred Ayala, and Dr. Nene Guevara. Also present were Standing Committee members Mayor Jimuel Que of Bongao, Tawi-Tawi; Dr. Emerlinda Roman, Professor Emeritus at the University of the Philippines; Mr. Mike Luz, Dean of the Asian Institute of Management; Mr. Ernie Garilao, Chairman of the Zuellig Family Foundation; Dr. Ciel Habito, Professor at the Ateneo de Manila University, and Dr. Vince Fabella, President of Jose Rizal University.

EDCOM 2 is the Congressional body created through RA11899, tasked to undertake a comprehensive national assessment and evaluation of the performance of the Philippine education sector. In the next three years, it will also recommend legislation that aims to address the education crisis in the country.