SJV Sponsorship Speech on Senate Bill No. 2960 under Committee Report No. 475: Lifelong Learning Development Framework Act
January 28, 2025
SJV Sponsorship Speech on Senate Bill No. 2960 under Committee Report No. 475: Lifelong Learning Development Framework Act
Thank you, Mr. President.
Mr. President, it is my honor to sponsor Senate Bill No. 2960 or the Lifelong Learning Development Framework Act under Committee Report No. 475, in substitution of Senate Bill No. 364 filed by this Representation, and Senate Bill No. 2072 filed by our Senate President Pro-Tempore, Senator Jinggoy Estrada.
Earlier this afternoon[II1] [MOU2] , Mr. President, we celebrated a significant milestone for EDCOM2 through the launching of its Year Two Report, titled: "Fixing the Foundations: A Matter of National Survival".
As I read through the report, I realized that while early childhood and primary[II3] education provide the foundation, "lifelong learning" is the "superstructure" that builds on it. Without a solid foundation, we cannot truly achieve lifelong learning for all Filipinos. This is why this bill is endorsed by EDCOM2 and is a top priority for our technical working group [II4] on TVET and Lifelong Learning.
Mr. President, gumugugol ang isang Pilipino ng 12 taon sa Basic Education, 4 hanggang 5 taon sa Kolehiyo, at kung kukuha pa siya ng Master's Degree at PhD, dagdag na 2 o higit pang mga taon. Kung susumahin, nasa mahigit 20 taong nasa eskwelahan o "formal education" ang isang Pilipino bago siya pumasok sa "world of work".
Kung magsisimula siyang mag-trabaho sa edad na 25, may halos 35 hanggang 40 taon bago n'ya maabot ang pagreretiro sa edad na 60 o 65. Di-hamak na mas mahaba ito kumpara sa mga taong ginugol n'ya sa paaralan.
Ang tanong ko po, Mr. President: Sa mas mahabang bahagi ng buhay ng isang Pilipino matapos maka-graduate, saan siya kukuha ng kaalaman o kasanayan hanggang marating n'ya ang kanyang age of retirement?
Kapag naka-graduate na o kapag retirado na, tapos na rin ba ang pagkatuto? Nabibigyan ba ng pagkakataong matuto ng mga bagong life skills sina lolo at lola, lalo na ang paggamit ng kompyuter?
Saan pupunta ang mga out-of-school youth para muling maengganyong mag-aral, o 'yung mga busy sa paghahanap-buhay pero gustong matuto ng mga bagong kaalaman sa pagnenegosyo?
In today's fast-changing world, marked by rapid technological advancements, education[II5] and training must transcend the traditional confines of schools. It must evolve into a lifelong and life-wide process. The challenges of today and the demands of tomorrow call for a more adaptive and forward-thinking approach to learning.
Kaya po maraming mga industriya at employer ang kumikilala na ngayon sa mga micro-credentials, digital badges at ibang uri ng mga "stackable qualifications' na magbibigay-daan sa pangarap nating "supermarket of competencies" para sa mga Pilipino.
Marami na rin pong mga bansa ang nagpapatupad ng kani-kanilang mga Lifelong Learning Framework tulad ng "Skills Future" ng Singapore[1] at "Liberal Adult Education" ng Finland.[2]
Recognizing this, we institutionalized the Philippine Qualifications Framework or the PQF Act through Republic Act No. 10968 in 2017 to motivate continuous learning and offer incentives for lifelong education.
The question now, Mr. President, is: how can the PQF more effectively promote lifelong learning for all Filipinos?
Today, we are amending the PQF Law and expanding the mandate of the PQF National Coordinating Council - and even its membership by including the DILG and the DTI, to help ensure that every Filipino has access to lifelong learning opportunities.
The proposed "Lifelong Learning Development Framework Act" seeks to institutionalize a culture of continuous learning--enabling every Filipino, regardless of age or circumstance, to acquire the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
Halimbawa, ang bilang ng mga kabataang "not in education, employment and training" o NEET ay umaabot ng 3.88-milyon o 19.4% ng ating youth population.[3] Karamihan sa kanila ay "economically inactive" na dapat ay may access sa mga continuous learning opportunities.
According to UNESCO, "Lifelong learning is rooted in the integration of learning and living, encompassing lifelong and life-wide learning for people of all ages, delivered through various modalities to meet a wide range of learning needs and demands."
In other words, Mr. President, learning occurs from "womb to tomb." This cradle-to-grave concept challenges the rigidity of our education system. To address this, we need a new framework that makes education seamless, borderless, and flexible[II6] . We need a framework that recognizes and credits the learning outcomes, whether these are achieved in formal institutions, at work, in our communities, and in other learning modes whether formal, nonformal or informal.
This bill is a direct response to that need.
Through the Lifelong Learning Development Framework Act, we will be able to designate "Learning Municipalities" and "Learning Cities". This bill will institutionalize lifelong learning through the initiatives and steerage of communities and local government units.
Mr. President, isa po sa mga matagumpay na mga syudad sa bansa at kinikilala maging ng UNESCO sa mga lifelong learning initiatives nito ay ang Balanga City sa dakilang lalawigan ng Bataan. Nakapagtayo po sila ng mga Barangay Learning Hubs sa lahat ng kanilang 21 barangays. Mayroon pa silang "Learning Barangay Week", "Computer Literacy Training", "School Learning Hubs", 'Education Summit", at maraming iba pa.
Katunayan, naglaan ang LGU ng 2,314 ektarya para gawin itong isang University Town area sa ilalim ng City Ordinance No. 18. Lakip po nito ang layunin na gawing isang "SMART University Town" ang Balanga City sa taong 2030!
The Bill mandates the formulation of a Master Plan that shall develop the guidelines for the designation of Learning Cities and Municipalities.
Mr. President, napanood ko po si Tim Cook, ang CEO ng Apple, na sinasagot ang tanong kung bakit nga ba nasa China ang manufacturing ng mga Apple product[II7] s. Hindi raw po dahil sa low labor cost kundi dahil sa "quantity" ng skill sa ilang mga lugar sa China.
Cook also mentioned that the tooling skill and vocational expertise in China is "very deep". I believe that we can gradually achieve this standard by designating learning cities and municipalities and pursuing a masterplan.
Senate Bill 2960 will also scale micro-credential initiatives, promote transferable skills development, and recognize alternative learning certifications through the Philippine Credit Transfer System or PCTS[II8] , and the Philippine Qualifications Register or PhQuaR.
Makikinabang po rito ang marami nating mga kababayang hindi nakapagtapos sa kolehiyo subalit maagang sumabak sa pagtatrabaho sa pamamagitan ng ALS, ETEEAP at Philippine Competency Assessment and Certification System. Higit sa lahat, magkakaroon ang mga early school leavers ng mga masiglang pathways to further learning.
Mr. President, the LLDF builds on our efforts for the past 10 years in legislating initiatives that allow for the promotion and operationalization of Lifelong Learning like the PQF, the Trabaho Para sa Bayan Act, the Enterprise-Based Education and Training Framework Act or EBET, and the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program or ETEEAP.
We need to learn throughout life, we can no longer navigate and face the challenges of modern life by only relying on what we have learned in school or in college. Rapid advancements in technology and automation have created an urgent need for us to continuously learn and to upskill.
The LLDF will be pivotal in enabling Filipinos to upskill and reskill continuously, ensuring that we maximize the opportunities of our unique demographic advantage.
Kasama po natin ang DepEd, TESDA at CHED gayundin ang DOLE, DTI, DILG at maging ang ILO, PBED at ilang mga local government units sa pagsusulong ng isang framework o balangkas para sa lifelong learning ng mga Pilipino. Kasama rin natin ang NEDA sa ating pagsulong ng layunin ng lifelong learning development sa Philippine Development Plan 2023 - 2028.
That is why we earnestly seek the support of our colleagues in the swift passage of this very important measure.
Together, let us ensure that no one is left behind and that every individual has the opportunity to thrive, from their first steps in education to their final stages of life.
Thank you, Mr. President, and may God bless us all.
_________________________
[1] https://www.skillsfuture.gov.sg/aboutssg
[2] https://www.oph.fi/en/education-system/liberal-adult-education
[3] https://pidswebs.pids.gov.ph/CDN/OTHERS/pids_who_are_the_youth_neet_in_the_philippines_20220211.pdf
[II1]Yesterday afternoon
[MOU2]The schedule yesterday was for the House of Reps po, today is for the Senate
[II3]basic
[II4]Standing Committee
[II5]And training
[II6]We need a framework that will recognize and credit the learning outcomes, whether these are achieved in formal institutions, at work, in communities, in formal, nonformal and informal learning modes.
[II7]products
[II8]and the Philippine Qualifications Register or PhQuaR.
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