P-Noy signs law on early childhood development

MANILA, Philippines - The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. (PAGCOR) will allocate half a billion pesos annually for five years to help fund a new law on early childhood development.

Under Republic Act 10410 or the “Early Years Act of 2013,” the state gaming firm is mandated to finance the establishment of National Child Development Centers and the conversion of existing day care centers into child development centers in various local government units.

The law, which was signed by President Aquino last March 26, also mandates the Departments of Education, Social Welfare and Development and Health to support the national ECCD system by providing financial and technical support packages to ECCD programs.

EYA seeks to institutionalize a national system for Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) which aims to provide health, nutrition, early education, and social services development programs for young children aged zero to four years, children aged zero to eight with special needs and disabilities, and children who are blind, deaf or deaf-blind.

ECCD is a comprehensive and integrative system that involves multi-sectoral and interagency collaboration among government agencies, service providers, families and communities, private sectors, non-government organizations, professional associations, and academic institutions.

UNICEF country representative Tomoo Hozumi earlier said 50 percent of a person’s ability to learn is developed in the first few years of life.

“Investing in early childhood is also investing for the future of the Philippines,” Teresita Inciong, chairperson of the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council, said.

The Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) has allocated some $18 million (about P731 million) for a three-year project that aims to improve early childhood education in 36 disaster-prone and conflict-hit areas in the Philippines.