Senator Joel Villanueva called for the swift passage of Senate Bill No. 2960, or the Lifelong Learning Development Framework Act, a measure aimed at institutionalizing lifelong learning opportunities for Filipinos.
“Without a solid foundation, we cannot truly achieve lifelong learning for all Filipinos. This is why this bill is endorsed by EDCOM2 and is a top priority for our technical working group on TVET (Technical and Vocational Education and Training) and Lifelong Learning,” he said in his sponsorship speech.
Villanueva emphasized that education must not stop after formal schooling and noted that while Filipinos spend over two decades in school, they often have 35 to 40 years of working life ahead of them before retirement.
“In today’s fast-changing world, marked by rapid technological advancements, education and training must transcend the traditional confines of schools. It must evolve into a lifelong and life-wide process,” the senator said.
“The challenges of today and the demands of tomorrow call for a more adaptive and forward-thinking approach to learning,” he continued.
The bill seeks to amend the Philippine Qualifications Framework (PQF) Law, enacted in 2017, to better promote lifelong learning.
It proposes expanding the PQF National Coordinating Council by including agencies like the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department of the Interior and Local Government.
Villanueva highlighted alarming statistics showing that 3.88 million Filipino youth, or 19.4% of the population aged 15-24, are not in education, employment, or training.
He added that these individuals need access to continuous learning pathways to re-enter education or gain employable skills.
“To address this, we need a new framework that makes education seamless, borderless, and flexible. We need a framework that recognizes and credits the learning outcomes, whether these are achieved in formal institutions, at work, in our communities, and in other learning modes whether formal, non-formal or informal,” he explained.
The senator pointed to global models like Singapore’s “SkillsFuture” and Finland’s “Liberal Adult Education” as examples of successful lifelong learning frameworks. He believes the Philippines can adopt similar strategies tailored to local needs.
Under the proposed law, communities can be designated as “Learning Cities” or “Learning Municipalities,” fostering localized initiatives for education and skills development.
The bill also aims to scale up micro-credential programs and alternative certifications through systems like the Philippine Credit Transfer System.
According to Villanueva, these initiatives will benefit early school leavers, out-of-school youth, and workers seeking additional qualifications.
“We need to learn throughout life, we can no longer navigate and face the challenges of modern life by only relying on what we have learned in school or in college. Rapid advancements in technology and automation have created an urgent need for us to continuously learn and to upskill,” he said.