BALER, Aurora (PIA) — A province-wide effort to strengthen care and learning for young children is taking shape in Aurora as 237 child development workers prepare to undergo training and certification.
This initiative supports President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s push to strengthen the Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) system and improve support for children aged zero to five years.
Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office Head Abigail Paulino said the training will equip child development workers with the skills needed to deliver quality early childhood programs and prepare them for the competency assessment required for national certification.
“Strengthening the competencies of our child development workers ensures that we can provide consistent, quality, and responsive services that children need during their most formative years,” Paulino said.
Paulino stressed that investing in child development workers is vital, as early childhood lays the foundation for a child’s health, learning, and overall development.
The Early Childhood Care and Development Service National Certificate III, issued by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, certifies that child development workers possess the competencies needed to provide quality early childhood services.
This qualification covers managing child development centers, assessing children’s growth and development, and carrying out early learning, health, nutrition, and protection programs for children aged zero to five years.
Paulino said Aurora currently operates 205 Child Development Centers across the province, serving about 6,868 children enrolled in 2025.
The province also maintains 25 Supervised Neighborhood Play facilities that provide early learning opportunities to more communities.
These facilities support children in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas where access to child development centers is limited.
In May 2025, President Marcos Jr. signed Republic Act No.12199 otherwise known as the
Early Childhood Care and Development System Act, strengthening the national framework for programs supporting young children’s holistic development.
This aligns health, nutrition, education, and social protection services to ensure children receive coordinated support during their formative years.
With this measure in place, Aurora seeks to further improve service delivery and expand support for child development workers and young learners throughout the province. (CLJD/MAT, PIA Region 3-Aurora)
