This report assesses early childhood care and development (ECCD) in the Philippines, aiming to provide the Second Congressional Commission on Education of the Philippine Congress with empirical evidence to inform programmatic and legislative reforms. The assessment employs a comprehensive framework that analyzes Filipino children’s health, nutrition, and early childhood education outcomes while examining their access to essential health, nutrition, and early childhood education services. Both demand- and supply-side inputs, such as governance, financing, infrastructure, and human resources, are analyzed to identify factors contributing to the poor and inequitable access to these basic services. Throughout the analysis, key principles for optimizing ECCD returns are highlighted: (1) delivering timely interventions during critical life stages; (2) ensuring comprehensive access to essential services; and (3) upholding quality standards that have far-reaching impacts on health, nutrition, and education outcomes.
