Jakarta. The Philippines welcomed more than 480 participants from 30 countries at the Asia-Pacific Regional Conference on Early Childhood Development (ECD) 2025, organized by the Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) in collaboration with the Philippine ECCD Council as host.

Held from July 1 to 3, in Manila, the annual conference focused on promoting inclusive and equitable ECD services, emphasizing the critical role of effective local governance.

“This year, ARNEC seeks to demonstrate that by applying contextualized and localized solutions, local governments can significantly improve the quality and delivery of services, ensuring all children have an equal and fair start in life,” said Dr. Sheldon Shaeffer, Chair of ARNEC’s Board of Directors.

At the same venue, Roger B. Masapol, Assistant Secretary of the Philippine Department of Education, emphasized, “The future of our nation is not far ahead, it is in our classrooms, child care centers, and homes today. When we nurture our children early, we are shaping our future workforce, leadership, and innovation.”

The Asia-Pacific region, home to over 60% of the world’s children, faces persistent challenges in providing access to quality ECD services, trapping many children in cycles of inequity.

Numerous children lack nurturing environments essential for development due to various barriers, including disability, gender, geography, ethnicity, language, and socio-economic status.

In her keynote speech, Diane Whitehead, President and CEO of Childhood Education International, said declining global funding for ECD has a direct impact at the local level, where services are actually delivered and where children live, learn, and grow.

“We have the opportunity to rethink our financing strategies—not only to fund services but to build stronger and more sustainable partnerships and shared accountability. We must shift toward more equitable and diverse support systems to build resilient and responsive ECD ecosystems—based not on dependency, but on local strength and collaboration,” she said.

The conference features a series of presentations and panel discussions addressing disability inclusion, gender equity, cultural and linguistic diversity, poverty, urban-rural disparities, and crisis-responsive ECD systems.

Key speakers include:

1. Dr. Vibha Krishnamurthy, Founder and Executive Director of Ummeed Child Development Center
2. Professor Alan Stein, Emeritus Professor of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Oxford
3. Professor Vina Adriany, Director of the Southeast Asian Regional Centre for Early Childhood Care Education and Parenting (SEAMEO CECCEP)

During the conference, UNESCO launched its new report: Global Early Childhood and Care Education. Van Leer Foundation introduced the Good Start Challenge, a global grant initiative worth €2.6 million to support programs improving parental well-being

TheirWorld, a children’s charity, announced the campaign Act for Early, urging governments and international donors to commit at least US$1 billion in new funding for early childhood care and pre-primary education

The event is co-hosted in partnership with Plan International, Save the Children, Tanoto Foundation, Early Childhood Regional Networks Fund (ECRNF), UNICEF, and UNESCO, with support from Philippine Normal University and REX Education.

About ARNEC

The Asia-Pacific Regional Network for Early Childhood (ARNEC) fosters multi-sectoral and cross-disciplinary partnerships across organizations, institutions, and agencies in the Asia-Pacific region to advocate for ECD investments and initiatives.

ARNEC organizes learning forums, produces knowledge products, builds capacity, and forges partnerships to advance the ECD agenda at national, regional, and global levels. It also promotes a safe, clean, and nurturing environment for children, families, and communities.

ARNEC is currently one of the largest and fastest-growing ECD networks in the Asia-Pacific, providing a shared platform for ECD professionals --including practitioners, government institutions, academics, NGOs, and regional/global networks-- to collaborate and learn.

Contact: [email protected]

About the Philippine ECCD Council

The Philippine Early Childhood Care and Development (ECCD) Council is the lead agency implementing the country’s National ECCD System, as mandated by Republic Act No. 10410. This system encompasses programs and services in health, nutrition, early education, and social services for children aged 0 to 4 years.

The Council is responsible for:

• Setting national standards
• Developing policies and programs
• Providing technical assistance to ECCD service providers
• Monitoring the outcomes and impact of ECCD services

Its mission is to contribute to national development by ensuring that all Filipino children aged 0–4 years experience developmentally appropriate early childhood programs to support their holistic needs.

About Tanoto Foundation

At Tanoto Foundation, we develop human potential, help communities thrive, and create lasting impact. Founded in 1981 by Sukanto Tanoto and Tinah Bingei Tanoto, the Foundation is an independent philanthropic organization that believes everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

We drive systemic change in education and health through impact-driven, collaborative, and data-informed initiatives. We invest long-term and focus on developing future leaders with lasting and meaningful impact. More information: www.tanotofoundation.org/id/