Covering The Last Mile | Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Governance and Delivery in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM): A Governance and Policy Reform Study  

The broader four-study series , supported by The Asia Foundation, EDCOM II, and the Australian Government, examines how governance, teacher development, and early childhood systems can work together to strengthen the foundations of learning. Together, the studies outline a roadmap for transforming Philippine education, with particular attention to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM), where cultural and post-conflict realities require context-sensitive approaches. Focusing on BARMM, this study highlights the vital link between education reform and the path to lasting peace, which requires a strong educational system with early childhood at its core. Because learning recovery and governance reform are inseparable, the study calls for an integrated, context-sensitive approach that strengthens policy alignment, financing, workforce capacity, infrastructure, and community engagement across the education ecosystem. The study recommends three pillars for strengthening early childhood care and development: phased devolution of ECCD services, a whole-of-government ecosystem, and stronger local service delivery. Central to this agenda is improving coordination between regional agencies, local governments, and communities to ensure ECCD policies reflect Bangsamoro realities and effectively reach every child. Download the reports in the series: Putting Foundational Learning at the Core of Philippine Educational Systems Reforms Realizing Shared Governance: Decentralization of Philippine Basic Education Covering the Last Mile: ECCD Governance and Delivery in BARMM Contextualizing Teacher Quality in BARMM