The Technical Education and Skills Development Authority’s (TESDA) approval of the National Certification (NC) III for Child Development Workers (CDWs) is a long-overdue reform to strengthen the country’s early childhood care and education system, authorities said Wednesday.

Senator Sherwin Gatchalian, co-chairperson of the 2nd Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2), said the certification addresses longstanding gaps in the qualifications and support provided to more than 68,000 CDWs nationwide.

“Many of our CDWs lack the tools, training, and compensation they need. This certification is a vital step toward their professionalization,” he said. “If we want to improve the quality of early childhood education, we must first empower the people delivering it.”

The commission’s Year One Report said nearly 17 percent of CDWs only finished high school, and almost 90 percent work under non-permanent contracts earning an average of PHP5,000 a month.

These findings formed the basis of EDCOM 2’s call to “fix the foundations” of education, focusing on early childhood nutrition, access to early childhood care and development (ECCD), and literacy in the early grades.

Co-chairperson, Rep. Roman Romulo, emphasized that CDWs are key to tackling the learning crisis.

“You cannot fix learning outcomes in later years if the foundation is weak. CDWs are on the frontlines, and we owe them training, dignity, and a clear path to job security,” he said. “This certification equips them with skills in early childhood education, center management, and child development that will enhance care and instruction for young children.”

EDCOM 2 credited the PHP80 million earmarked in the 2025 budget for NC III training scholarships to Gatchalian’s advocacy in the Senate.

The new certification also fulfills provisions under the recently enacted ECCD System Act (Republic Act 12199), which mandates upgraded standards and continuous development for CDWs and Child Development Teachers.

“This is more than a policy win – it’s an investment in our country’s future,” Romulo said.

EDCOM 2 said it would continue pushing for comprehensive reforms that support frontline education workers, from early childhood to K-12. (PNA)