Senator Sherwin Gatchalian is advocating for a budget of P79 million to provide scholarships for child development workers (CDWs) who have only completed high school.
Currently, 11,414 out of 68,080 CDWs nationwide hold only a high school diploma.
During his interpellation on the proposed budget of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Gatchalian emphasized the need for this funding.
His proposal includes covering tuition and other school fees, stipends, book allowances, and certification and assessment fees for a National Certificate (NC) III course in early childhood education.
This funding would enable 2,854 CDWs to gain essential upskilling and reskilling opportunities to enhance their professional capabilities.
In addition, Gatchalian is pushing for the upskilling of CDWs under the Basic Education and Early Childhood Care and Development Alignment Act (Senate Bill No. 2575). This measure aims to achieve universal access to early childhood education.
Under the proposed legislation, incumbent CDWs will be required to complete mandatory upskilling and reskilling training programs focused on early childhood education or early childhood care and development (ECCD). Furthermore, they must pass a certification exam provided by TESDA, which will offer assessment and certification free of charge.
If this proposed measure becomes law, Gatchalian’s office estimates that the country will need an additional 161,143 CDWs to support 4.6 million children aged three to four.
