THE Commission on Human Rights (CHR) welcomed the enactment of the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) System Act or Republic Act No. 12199, which provides greater protection to and safeguards the welfare and development of young children.
The commission said the measure enhances early education, nutrition, and caregiving support from a very young age, which it hailed as a decisive step in promoting a Filipino child’s right to holistic development, protection, and long-term well-being.
Among its immediate goals are to reduce child mortality, support well-rounded early development, ensure early detection of developmental challenges, and promote a smoother transition to formal education.
According to the CHR, RA 12199 reinforces the Philippines’ obligations under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), which recognizes every child’s right to the highest attainable standard of health, education, and development.
Likewise, it signals the country’s commitment to fostering an enabling environment for all children to thrive.
“The Commission affirms that inclusive policies like this institutionalize a rights-based approach to early childhood development, one that ensures no child is left behind, regardless of socio-economic background, location, or developmental condition. True progress begins with ensuring that every child has the foundation they need to grow, learn, and succeed,” the Commission said.
The Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), whose research into the challenges of early childhood care and development, said the law enables the government to respond better in bridging the gap in the care, nutrition, and early education of children from birth to age five.
It noted that only 20 percent of three and four-year-old Filipino children were enrolled in pre-kindergarten in 2022 while only 23 percent were reached by feeding programs.
Making the problem worse is the shortfall of daycare centers at only 33,000 nationwide, far below the ideal number of 96,000, as well as the lack of child development workers.
With the signing of RA 12199 into law on May 8, 2025, provinces, cities, and municipalities are now mandated to create ECCD offices to strengthen the delivery of services and allocation of resources.
