MANILA, Philippines – Pinuri ni Senador Loren Legarda ang pagsasabatas ng panukala na tutulong mapalakas ang hakbang ng bansa para sa maayos na kalusugan ng mga bata.
Pinuri ni Legarda ang pagpirma para maging batas ang Republic Act No. 12199, o Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) System Act na nagpo-promote ng early intervention sa pagkatuto ng isang bata sa kanilang early stages of life.
“Since my first term in the Senate, I have championed ECCD out of a firm belief that the earliest years shape the trajectory of a child’s learning, behavior, and well-being,” ani Legarda, co-author at co-sponsor ng panukala sa Senado.
“If we are to achieve meaningful and transformative education reform and reduce inequalities, we must begin where it matters most: with proper nutrition, responsive care, and quality early learning during a child’s foundational years,” giit pa niya.
Anang senador, layon ng RA 12199 na palakasin ang local implementation ng National Early Learning Framework ng ECCD services sa buong bansa.
Sa ilalim ng batas, ang mga local government unit (LGU) ang magsisilbing primary implementers ng ECCD services at magkakaroon ng responsibilidad sa pagtatatag ng ECCD offices sa bawat probinsya, lungsod at munisipalidad.
Ang bawat Child Development Center (CDC) ay dapat mayroong isang Child Development Teacher (CDT) at isang Child Development Worker (CDW), kasama ang probisyon ng kwalipikadong tauhan, kailangang pasilidad, at angkop na learning resources.
Layon ng batas na pataasin ang professional standards sa child care workforce sa pamamagitan ng malinaw na kwalipikasyon, training requirements, competency assessments, at certification systems, habang nagbibigay din ng maayos na pasahod at career development.
Nakasama ang ECCD Council sa Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) para sa transparency at accountability.
“More than an education law, this Act builds the architecture for long-term national development by prioritizing investments that begin in the earliest years of life, thereby improving outcomes across health, education, and economic productivity,” ani Legarda, na nagsisilbi ring Commissioner ng Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II). RNT/JGC
