By Zaldy De Layola | Philippine News Agency
The House of Representatives on Wednesday advanced several landmark education reforms with the approval on third reading of House Bills Nos. 9358, 9377, and 9466, measures aimed at strengthening educational governance, promoting constitutional literacy, and expanding nutrition support for Filipino learners.
The measures, principally sponsored by Rep. Roman Romulo, Chairperson of the Committee on Basic Education and Culture, reflect the continuing commitment of the House of Representatives to improving learning outcomes and ensuring that learners are provided with the institutional, civic, and nutritional support necessary to succeed.
Strengthening educational governance
House 9358, which seeks to strengthen the governance structure of the Department of Education by amending Republic Act No. 9155, recognizes the growing administrative demands brought about by the expansion of the K to 12 program and the increasing number of schools, learners, and educators nationwide.
It empowers DepEd regional offices to better contextualize national policies according to local needs, strengthens support for schools division offices, and allows the creation of additional schools division offices and school districts where necessary to improve supervision and service delivery.
The bill likewise updates the law to align with the governance framework of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, while strengthening coordination between national and regional education authorities.
Building constitutional literacy among the youth
Meanwhile, HB 9377, otherwise known as the “Constitutional Education Act,” institutionalizes age-appropriate constitutional education throughout the basic education curriculum beginning in Grade 1, enabling learners to develop a deeper understanding of democratic institutions, citizenship, human rights, accountability in government, social justice, and civic participation.
The bill also institutionalizes the annual observance of Constitution Day every February 2 and provides for teacher training programs in partnership with legal and judicial institutions to strengthen the delivery of constitutional education in schools.
The measure equips future generations with the knowledge and values necessary to uphold democracy, defend human rights, and exercise responsible citizenship.
Expanding nutrition support for Filipino learners
On the other hand, HB 9466, which seeks to transform the National Feeding Program under Republic Act No. 11037 into a more comprehensive National Nutrition Program, expands program coverage to include undernourished children below five years old, all learners from Kindergarten to Grade 3, undernourished learners from Grades 4 to 12, nutritionally at-risk pregnant learners, children with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples learners, and other marginalized sectors.
It strengthens milk feeding initiatives, incorporates science-based nutrition standards, and integrates interventions such as micronutrient supplementation, health examinations, sanitation, hygiene promotion, and nutrition education.
The bill likewise supports local agriculture by requiring a portion of food procurement to be sourced directly from Filipino farmers and fisherfolk.
Rep. Romulo stressed that proper nutrition is fundamental to learning and that investments in child nutrition are investments in education, human capital, and national development.
