Following the release of the Year Two Report of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), former Davao City lawmaker Karlo Nograles has pledged to make early childhood care and development (ECCD) a top priority, vowing to establish at least one Child Development Center (CDC) in each of the city’s 182 barangays to combat stunting, malnutrition, and poor early learning outcomes among young children in Mindanao’s premier city.
Released earlier this week, the EDCOM II Year Two Report: Fixing the Foundations highlights the learning crisis in the country and stresses the urgent need to strengthen early childhood education, particularly through proper nutrition, learning interventions, and increased access to CDCs, which serve as government-run daycare centers providing early learning and feeding programs for children aged 0 to four years old.
“The EDCOM II report confirms what we have long known—investing in children’s early years is key to ensuring their success in school and life. We cannot let Davao City’s youngest children fall behind due to the lack of proper daycare and feeding programs. Establishing a CDC in every barangay should be the priority of City Hall,” said Nograles, who previously headed the government’s Inter-Agency Task Force on Zero Hunger.
“No child should go hungry, and no child should be deprived of a strong early education foundation.”
The EDCOM II report found that only 25% of Filipino children meet the recommended daily energy intake between ages six to 12 months, and that many barangays still lack CDCs, preventing young children from accessing crucial early childhood education and nutrition programs.
Nograles said “I have seen firsthand how stunting and malnutrition affect a child’s ability to learn. Which is why we must ensure that Davao City allocates its resources for our young. No child should go hungry, and no child should be deprived of a strong early education foundation.”
Nograles stressed that while Davao City has made progress in education, the EDCOM II Year Two Report serves as a reminder to Philippine leaders to focus on early childhood development in their jurisdictions. The former legislator and longtime education advocate called for increased investment in CDCs, ensuring each barangay has trained Child Development Teachers (CDTs) and Child Development Workers (CDWs) to provide quality early learning and nutrition programs.
“Education starts long before a child enters the first grade. If we fail to provide for their needs in the first five years, we set them up for failure. When we invest in CDCs, we invest in Davao’s future.”
Nograles explained that Davao City “should not wait for the national government before implementing the recommendations of the EDCOM II report. We have the resources for this; it’s a matter of priorities—and I believe our children deserve to be a top priority.”
Among the recommendations Nograles said he would immediately work on are:
- The establishment in every barangay of at least one fully functioning CDC with proper learning materials and feeding programs.
- Increase in city government funding for early childhood programs, especially in low-income communities where malnutrition rates are highest.
- Provision of plantilla positions for CDC teachers and workers to improve the quality of child development services.
- Improved coordination with barangay leaders to raise awareness among parents on the importance of early childhood education and nutrition.
“Malaking tulong itong EDCOM II report and we should maximize it. It provides us with a roadmap for education in Davao City, and we will see to it that its recommendations are carefully studied so they are implemented appropriately in Davao City.”
