A Mother’s Promise, A Nation’s Promise
RL Column, May 2026
Every mother carries a promise in her heart: that her child will be safe, healthy, loved, and given every chance to become who he or she is meant to be.
This Mother’s Day, we honor that promise. We remember the sleepless nights, the anxious mornings, the whispered prayers, the patient teaching, the feeding, bathing, comforting, playing, and guiding that often go unseen. Much of a mother’s work is quiet, but its impact lasts a lifetime.
But a mother’s love, however deep, should not have to stand alone.
Every child needs a mother’s care, but every mother also needs support: from fathers, families, communities, health workers, Child Development Workers, teachers, local governments, and national systems that understand how crucial the earliest years of life are.
That is why this Mother’s Day carries even deeper meaning as we mark the first anniversary of the signing of Republic Act No. 12199, or the Early Childhood Care and Development System Act, on May 8, 2026. This landmark law strengthens the country’s commitment to the holistic development of young Filipino children and recognizes the first eight years of life as a crucial stage in a child’s growth, learning, and development.
At its heart, RA 12199 is also a promise to mothers and families: that they should not be left on their own in nurturing a child’s body, mind, heart, language, values, and spirit. The law seeks to address long-standing gaps in the early childhood system by strengthening support for children’s health, nutrition, early learning, and overall development. It also underscores the importance of helping children transition smoothly from home to child development centers, and eventually to the formal education system.
Equally important, the law provides stronger support for Child Development Workers, who are often among the mothers’ first partners in the community. By promoting minimum qualifications, access to training and assessment, and certification, RA 12199 recognizes that those who care for and teach our youngest children also need to be cared for, respected, and equipped. It also recognizes the need for inclusion and support for children with disabilities, so that no child is left behind in the earliest and most formative years of life.
For us at the Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. (KCFI), RA 12199 is especially meaningful. It reflects years of persistent advocacy to place early childhood development firmly on the national agenda. I strongly advocated for ECD to be included in the work of the Second Congressional Commission on Education, or EDCOM2, because I believed then, as I do now, that the learning crisis cannot be solved if we begin too late.
In 2022, I hosted a dinner for members of the Asia Philanthropy Circle and invited key stakeholders in early childhood care and development, including Senator Win Gatchalian and representatives of the ECCD Council. Our discussion on the urgent gaps in the country’s early childhood system helped lead to the drafting and filing of what was then Senate Bill No. 2029, a proposed revision of the Early Years Act. Through EDCOM2 and the legislative process that followed, I saw early childhood development become a true national priority. For this, I am deeply grateful to Senator Gatchalian, Congressman Romulo, EDCOM2, and the many partners who listened, studied the gaps, and helped move this urgent concern higher on the country’s reform agenda.
The work continues. KCFI is also supporting efforts around Senate Bill No. 1853, the proposed K–3 Foundational Learning and Nurturing Care Act, which I had presented to Senator Loren Legarda, while also exploring a demonstration pilot in Quezon City. Together, these efforts seek to strengthen the bridge from early childhood to Kinder and Grades 1 to 3, and to show how LGUs, schools, child development centers, families, and communities can work together so that mothers and caregivers are surrounded by a stronger, more coordinated circle of support.
But while laws can provide the framework, their real promise will be fulfilled in the daily lives of Filipino families. Children grow in homes, barangays, child development centers, schools, and communities. It is in these everyday spaces that mothers, fathers, grandparents, and caregivers make the small but powerful choices that shape a child’s future.
This is where programs like KCFI’s I Love You 1000 and Dok Ricky, Pedia ng Barangay become especially relevant.
These programs focus on the first 1,000 days of a child’s life, translating scientific and technical knowledge into practical, relatable lessons for families. I Love You 1000 guides mothers, fathers, and caregivers on essential practices such as breastfeeding, responsive caregiving, early stimulation, and preventive health care from birth to age two. Dok Ricky, Pedia ng Barangay uses situational comedy and commentary to help communities understand pregnancy, nutrition, health, early stimulation, and child care.
Both programs carry an important message: a child’s development does not happen by chance. It is shaped every day by care, conversation, nutrition, play, protection, and love.
This is also the spirit behind what we at KCFI call GenSPARKKY—a simple reminder that children grow through everyday moments of Sing, Play, Ask, Read, Kain, Kalusugan, and Yakap. These are not complicated acts. They are the songs sung while bathing a baby, the playful moments that build curiosity and confidence, the questions asked during mealtime, the stories read before sleep, the nutritious food lovingly prepared, the health habits faithfully practiced, and the hugs that make a child feel safe and loved.
These are the things mothers have always tried to give their children. Our task, as a society, is to make sure they do not have to do it alone.
On Mother’s Day, we honor not only mothers, but all those who mother: parents, grandparents, caregivers, Child Development Workers, teachers, and communities who nurture young children. Their daily acts of care are not small. They are the foundation of a child’s future—and of our nation’s future.
If you would like to help us create more informative and engaging learning materials for families and young children, you may donate to the Knowledge Channel Foundation, Inc. through BPI Account No. 0201-0409-14. Kindly send your deposit slip to info@knowledgechannel.org for proper acknowledgment. You may also visit knowledgechannel.org to learn more about our programs.
For Lopez Link, the official newsletter of the Lopez Group.