Mr. President and dear colleagues:
Magandang hapon po.
Last February 4, we approved on Second Reading Senate Bill No. 2960 or the Lifelong Learning Development Framework Act. Since then, our office has strived to live out the spirit of this measure. In just three months, we have conducted 21 Lifelong Learning Sessions on topics such as health and fitness, social media branding, legislative budgeting, protocol, and even Philippine history.
Hindi lang po in-house ang naging resource persons namin—nakipagtulungan din tayo sa iba’t ibang opisina at ahensya. We thank our partners from the Senate LBRMO and the National Museum for joining us in championing continuous learning in the workplace.
If I may, Mr. President, I’d like to share a short video of these sessions.
Mr. President, this bill is more than just a policy. It is a mindset. A recognition that education does not—and should not—end after formal schooling.
In today’s fast-changing world, shaped by rapid technological advancement, particularly in Artificial Intelligence, we must transcend the traditional boundaries of the classroom. Learning must be lifelong and life-wide. From womb to tomb, education should be continuous, flexible, and inclusive—whether through formal institutions, community centers, or work-based settings.
The LLDF institutionalizes this vision. It strengthens frameworks like the PQF, ETEEAP, and EBET. It will enable the creation of Learning Cities , Learning Municipalities and Learning Barangays across the country—taking inspiration from models like Balanga City, Bataan, which has been internationally recognized for building learning hubs in all its barangays and dedicating over 2,000 hectares for its University Town.
It also opens up more dynamic pathways for upskilling and reskilling—benefiting not just students, but also early school leavers, workers, entrepreneurs, and even our senior citizens who still want to learn new skills, like digital literacy.
This measure supported by EDCOM 2 is our response to the question: How do we prepare Filipinos for a future that is uncertain, fast-moving, and full of disruption?
We do it by equipping them with the mindset and means to never stop learning, especially amidst recent findings that “around 18M Filipinos finished high school despite being functionally illiterate.”
Muli po, maraming salamat sa ating mga kasamahan na buong pusong sumuporta sa panukalang ito.
We look forward to its swift enactment into law, together let us make lifelong learning a reality for all Filipinos.
Maraming salamat po and may God bless us all.
#############
———————–The article provided is authorized for use, and represents solely the author’s personal opinions. Please contact us in the event of any potential infringement.
