House panels approve NCCE Bill to strengthen education policy continuity

The House Committees on Basic Education and Culture and Higher and Technical Education approved the consolidation of five measures on the establishment of the National Coordinating Council for Education (NCCE) during their joint meeting on August 24, addressing the fragmented governance of the Philippine education system.

Each committee is represented by a panel, with Pasig Rep. Roman Romulo chairing the Basic Education Panel and TINGOG Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre leading the Higher and Technical Education Panel. 

House Bill No. 9006, or the “National Coordinating Council for Education Act,” was among the House Bills 2173, 9132, 9573, and 9720, authored by Reps. Rufus Rodriguez, Roman Romulo, Ryan Recto, Eduardo Rama Jr., and Kenneth Gatchalian, respectively.

The proposal co-authored by  Romulo follows the observation made by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II): the country’s learning crisis is not merely programmatic, but systemic, and it was highlighted in the reports about the trifocalization of education agencies that resulted in policy incoherence, duplication of efforts, and gaps in accountability.

“It is both critical and long overdue for DepEd, CHED, and TESDA to operate as a single, coherent system. Fragmentation must give way to convergence through aligned mandates, shared priorities, coordinated funding, and unified implementation to ensure equitable access to quality education for all Filipinos,” EDCOM 2 co-chairperson Rep. Roman T. Romulo said on April 29.

The House Bill 9006 measure is part of broader education reform initiatives being pursued in Congress following EDCOM II’s nationwide review of the Philippine education system, consistently calling for stronger integration of policy planning, implementation, and monitoring across agencies.

Lawmakers stated the NCCE is intended to ensure continuity in education reforms and promote a more unified and coordinated approach to addressing the country’s learning crisis.