Marcos Jr. establishes EWDG to revamp education and workforce development

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. established the Education and Workforce Development Group (EWDG) through Administrative Order No. 36 signed on August 13, 2025.

The EWDG aims to address persistent problems in the education sector such as fragmented programs, misaligned teacher development pathways, and inconsistent policies, following findings from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II).

Chaired by President Marcos Jr., with Education Secretary as co-chair and Labor Secretary as vice-chair, the group includes heads of various agencies tasked with formulating a 10-year National Education and Workforce Development Plan (NEWDP) to review existing inter-agency bodies and policies.

The DepEd will serve as the Secretariat for the EWDG, providing technical and administrative support to coordinate efforts among member agencies, while the Order grants the Group authority to form technical working groups to support its initiatives.

AO No. 36 mandates monthly performance reports to be submitted to the President and the Executive Secretary, aiming to streamline operations and align reforms with labor market needs.

Funding requirements will be sourced from current appropriations of member agencies and identified funding sources, subject to budgeting laws.