One Hundred Years of Solicitude: A Path Constitution Analysis of Philippine Basic Education Assessments and Reforms in the Past 100 Years, 1921-2020

Alex, Jr. B. Brillantes; Herisadel P. Flores; Melanie G. Riva

doi:10.5281/zenodo.14219815

Alex, Jr. B. Brillantes National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines Diliman
Herisadel P. Flores National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines Diliman
Melanie G. Riva National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines Diliman

DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14219815

Abstract

With the sheer number of assessments done in the past one hundred years, Philippine education is one of the most studied sectors in the country. The most pivotal is the Congressional Commission on Education, popularly known as the EDCOM 1991. The present government–from both the executive and legislative departments–is pursuing once again a comprehensive assessment of the Philippine Education System (PES), as it confronts new challenges brought about by fast-changing times. In this historical research and systematic review, the authors cover the assessments of the PES that go back to the 1920s, with a focus on the report of the EDCOM 1991, to provide context to current efforts that seek to do both. The study uses Path Constitution Analysis (PCA) as the theoretical framework to analyze the evolution of education and governance in the past 100 years. Various methodologies including desk review, historical research, document analysis, online public forums, focus group discussions, and key informant interviews were employed from March 2020 to December 2021. The results of this study aim to inform the plans and strategies adopted by the Department of Education (DepEd), through its Education Futures Programme, as it opens the conversation on the future of the PES.

Author Biographies

Alex, Jr. B. Brillantes, National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines Diliman

Alex B. Brillantes, Jr. is professor emeritus at the National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines, where he served as dean for two terms. He is secretary general of the Eastern Regional Organization for Public Administration (EROPA). He was a founding member and president of the Asian Association for Public Administration and chair of the Philippine Social Science Council. He has published books and articles in the field of public administration and governance and received the International Publications Award from the University several times. He served as executive director of the Local Government Academy of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and commissioner of the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd). He received the Outstanding Alumnus Award from the University of the Philippines Alumni Association (UPAA) and the East West Center Association in Honolulu. He obtained his MA and PhD degrees in political science from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, USA.

Herisadel P. Flores, National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines Diliman

Herisadel P. Flores is assistant professor at the National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG), University of the Philippines. He teaches courses in methods of policy analysis, governmental budgeting, public fiscal administration, public administration and the economic system, local government and regional administration, public accounting and budgeting, research methods, and introductory public administration, among others. He specializes in development economics, fiscal administration, local and regional governance, and research methodology. He served as director of the Center for Leadership, Citizenship and Democracy (CLCD), and interim college secretary and director of the Center for Public Administration and Governance Education (CPAGE). He was university researcher at the Center for Local and Regional Governance (CLRG) in NCPAG. He also served as junior technical staff at the Development Academy of the Philippines (DAP), where he was involved in several projects related to national government reforms, particularly in the education and administrative sectors.

Melanie G. Riva, National College of Public Administration and Governance, University of the Philippines Diliman

Melanie G. Riva (corresponding author) is senior research and extension fellow at the Center for Leadership, Citizenship, and Democracy (CLCD), and senior lecturer at the National College of Public Administration and Governance (NCPAG), University of the Philippines. She earned her master’s degree in information systems from the University of the Philippines Open University, and is currently a PhD candidate in anthropology and sociology of education at the University of the Philippines College of Education. She was also visiting scholar at the KU Leuven (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven), where she specialized in media and learning. A licensed teacher with a solid background in education, she integrates her expertise into her research on the nexus of education, culture, information and communication technology (ICT), and governance. Her work reflects a commitment to understanding and advancing these fields in both local and global contexts. Email: mgriva@up.edu.ph