MANILA – The Regional Education Committee (REC) XII has called on all provincial, city, and municipal Local School Boards (LSBs) in SOCCSKSARGEN to align the use of their Special Education Fund (SEF) with national education reform priorities following the adoption of a resolution during its inaugural organizational meeting.

Through REC XII Resolution No. 03, Series of 2026, the committee urged local school boards across the region to act on the recommendations of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) and ensure that SEF allocations are consistent with updated national education policies.

The resolution was adopted in response to EDCOM 2 findings that identified continuing challenges in both the region and the country, including gaps in foundational literacy and numeracy, learning poverty, learner malnutrition, low participation in early childhood education, and the need to improve the efficiency of education financing.

REC XII said Local School Boards play a key role in addressing these issues through strategic use of the Special Education Fund in accordance with Joint Circular No. 1, Series of 2025, and Section 272 of the Local Government Code.

“This bold initiative from Region XII demonstrates precisely how national policy research and local governance must intersect to create tangible impact for our learners,” EDCOM 2 Executive Director Karol Mark Yee said.

“By aligning Special Education Fund utilization with updated guidelines, Local School Boards are now fully empowered to target the root causes of our education crisis—investing directly in foundational literacy, early childhood care, and school-based nutrition where they matter most”, he continued.

The resolution was approved under the leadership of REC XII Chairperson Atty. Alberto T. Escobarte and was spearheaded by Department of the Interior and Local Government XII Regional Director Atty. Rochelle D. Mahinay-Sero, with support from General Santos City local government representative Ma. Lourdes Casabuena.

It encourages Local School Boards to review their Local Education Plans and Annual Investment Programs and prioritize SEF spending for early childhood care, school-based nutrition, foundational literacy and numeracy, the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, learner assessments, and teacher professional development.

EDCOM 2 Commissioner and Sarangani Rep. Steve Solon said empowering local school boards is essential to improving education outcomes in the region.

“Region XII is proving that real educational reform happens when local government leaders and regional agencies take co-ownership of learning outcomes,” Solon said.

“When our LGUs, DepEd, CHED, and TESDA optimize every peso of the Special Education Fund using local evidence, we do not just recover lost learning—we build an equitable foundation for every child in SOCCSKSARGEN.”

The committee also encouraged local government units to strengthen evidence-based planning using local education data, improve collaboration with higher education institutions and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and regularly share best practices from SEF-funded programs to support the continuing refinement of national education policies.