Press Release - Transcript of Kapihan sa Manila Bay with Senator Win Gatchalian and Marichu Villanueva on education and power shortage

SEN. WIN: Again thank you very much for inviting me and the Senate is quite busy because we'll be terminating our session on March 20. So we're trying to rush many things on the floor to include some of the LEDAC bills like the real property evaluation reform law. We're also rushing some education bills as well and at the same time we're also conducting many consultations, many hearings. This year we plan to increase the number of recommendations so that we can have meaningful reforms in the education system. We also acknowledge that in 2025 will be the next round of PISA. So hopefully this year and next year we'll have reforms that will improve learner outcomes and improve our PISA outcomes. So we're just very busy finishing up all the bills that are on hand, on the floor so that before we go on a break all of these can be done.

FOREIGN OWNERSHIP OF EDUCATION

Q: On that note Sir, yung EDCOM started when and how long will it be complete?

SEN. WIN: It has a life of three years so by next year it will end. The concept of this EDCOM is it's only a temporary or a short-term body that will conduct massive consultations, massive analysis. We have almost 93 researchers and analysts all specializing in education looking at our education system. This year and next year we'll be making recommendations in various facets of education. For example recommendations on early childhood, on basic education, on tertiary and tech-voc and this is actually, this endeavor actually bodes well with the talk on cha-cha because one of the items that is being contemplated to open up is education. And if you have been following the discussions in the Senate, it's quite interesting to listen to both sides. Admittedly there are stakeholders who are against opening up the education sector but there are also stakeholders who are pro or in favor of opening up the education sector. But in my point of view, my personal point of view after listening to all of them and after doing my own analysis, we cannot look at education in the context of charter change as short-term. We cannot look at education as a major driver of foreign direct incentives in the short-term. Because education is a building