Senator Sherwin Gatchalian pushed a new proposal to bolster the employability of senior high school students and their readiness to enter college amid the Department of Education’s (DepEd) plan to pilot-run the revised curriculum for SHS by the school year 2025-2026.

On July 23, Gatchalian proposed Senate Resolution No. 2367, also known as the Batang Magaling Act, which pushes to produce SHS graduates with training, knowledge, and skills in the labor market regardless of their chosen exits.

He emphasized the relevance of addressing challenges that hound the senior high school program, saying that a revelation from a 2020 discussion paper from the state think tank, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS), explained that only a little over 20% of SHS graduates enter the labor force.

"Isinusulong natin ang Batang Magaling Act upang matiyak natin ang kahandaan sa trabaho ng ating mga graduates sa senior high school. Titiyakin nating may maigting na ugnayan sa pagitan ng pribadong sektor at mga paaralan para sa magandang kinabukasan ng ating mga mag-aaral," said Gatchalian, who is also the Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.

The proposed bill also pushes for the creation of the National Batang Magaling Council, composed of DepEd, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE).

Meanwhile, industry partners and government agencies will assist in identifying labor market demands since they are mandated to increase awareness and commitment to accept students for work immersion programs.