Marcos orders creation of Education and Workforce Development Group

President Ferdinand ''Bongbong'' Marcos Jr. has called for the creation of the Education and Workforce Development Group to establish an effective coordinating mechanism among agencies involved in education and workforce development. 

In signing Administrative Order No. 36 last August 13, 2025, Marcos said the establishment of the group is needed to address long-standing concerns in the education sector, and foster a complete, adequate, and integrated system of education in the country.

The EWDG shall serve as the central coordinating body on all matters related to education and workforce development in the country. 

It is tasked to formulate a 10-year National Education and Workforce Development Plan (NEWDP), which shall guide concerned government agencies in formulating and enforcing strategies to align the country's education and workforce systems with the rapidly evolving demands of the global economy.

The AO cited the report of EDCOM II, saying that the coordination within the education sector remains a challenge despite the existence of multiple inter-agency bodies working on the sector. 

The EWDG shall be chaired by the President, and shall be composed of the following:

• Co-Chairperson: Secretary, Department of Education
• Vice Chairperson : Secretary, Department of Labor and Employment 
• Members: Chairperson, Commission on Higher Education; Secretary, Department of Migrant Workers; Secretary, Department of Economy, Planning, and Development; and Director General, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority. 

The DepEd shall serve as the Secretariat of the EWDG, and shall provide technical and administrative support to the EWDG. 

Further, the Secretariat shall be headed by an Executive Director who shall be designated by the DepEd Secretary from among the senior officials of the agency.

The EWDG is also directed to study and evaluate all existing inter-agency bodies with duties and functions related to education and workforce development, and propose mechanisms to streamline and rationalize the same.

The AO states that the funding requirements shall be charged against the current and available appropriations of the member-agencies of the EWDG and such other available funding sources as may be identified by the Department of Budget and Management, subject to pertinent budgeting, accounting, and auditing laws, rules, and regulations. — Anna Felicia Bajo/RSJ, GMA Integrated News