Press Release - 'No student should be left behind' - EDCOM 2 visits BARMM to tackle education challenges

"Ang pag unlad ng isang bansa, hindi magiging kumpleto kung mayroon tayong isang rehiyon, isang probinsya, isang LGU, na maiiwanan," says Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) Co-Chairperson Senator Win Gatchalian during the Commission's 2-day consultative visit in Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).

To fulfill its mandate to study, analyze, and make recommendations to the national government on necessary reforms to improve the education system, the EDCOM 2 conducted its first visit to the Bangsamoro for a comprehensive education consultation, from July 8 to 9, 2024.

The Commission met with BARMM Chief Minister Ahod "Al-Hajj Murad" Balawag Ebrahim, Basic, Higher, and Technical Education Minister Mohagher M. Iqbal, Health Minister Dr. Kadil Sinolinding, Jr., Member of the Bangsamoro Transition Authority (BTA) Parliament MP Eddie Ali, Cotabato City Mayor Mohammad Ali "Bruce" Matabalao, and the Director-Generals from the MBHTE.

During the dialogue, EDCOM II aligned with BARMM and its Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education (MBHTE) on its priorities in education, with the aim of delivering a balanced, inclusive, and quality education that will reflect the history and aspirations of the Bangsamoro, and contextualize its priorities in support of strengthening BARMM's sub-education system. This direction of EDCOM 2 also aligns with RA 11054 or the Organic Law for the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, to give communities stronger autonomy in building their sub-education system within the national system.

"Our national education system needs massive reforms. We cannot do business as usual. That is the reason why we are also looking at the entire system, including the system in our lone autonomous region in the Philippines. We recognize that the BARMM operates under the subsystem in education. However, we also recognize that in order for the entire Philippine education to improve, all regions including subsystems, and all provinces including different systems should be looked at and analyzed," explained Senator Gatchalian.

Sustainable, contextualized solutions

Just like the other regions, BARMM presents