Alyansa Para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidate and Makati Mayor Abby Binay has renewed her call for stronger implementation of the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Act.
Citing alarming data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) showing over 18 million functionally illiterate junior and senior high school graduates in 2024, she stressed the need to begin structured learning as early as day care.
Binay said day care centers should not merely serve as child-minding facilities but must follow a proper curriculum led by qualified child development workers. She emphasized that early education must go beyond basic literacy and cover comprehension and real-life application of knowledge, as required by updated PSA standards.
The mayor criticized the Department of Education’s tendency to focus on “bridging the gap” rather than building a strong learning foundation. She said interventions must start from day care through Grade 3 to ensure students achieve proficiency in reading, math, and science before moving on to more
advanced lessons.
She also highlighted Makati’s local efforts to improve early education. These include the Pre-Kindergarten program launched in 2020, daily feeding projects in public schools, and Project MILES, which enhances math skills using a Singaporean software. The city also supports students with stipends to encourage them to pursue STEM tracks.
Binay pointed to the ECCD Act of 2000 and the Early Years Act of 2013 as critical frameworks, saying their full implementation is essential. She stressed that early investment in education yields long-term national benefits, especially in producing globally competitive graduates.
