三田祭論文:セブ島の貧困に関する研究
三田祭論文
慶應義塾大学経済学部
大平　哲研究会
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Changing Issues in Tulay Sa Kinabuhi’s Early Childhood Education Support Project

Kazusa Doi

Abstract

As of 2023, there are changes in the issues associated with the expansion of Tulay Sa Kinabuhi's early childhood education project compared to 2019, particularly in terms of location, funding, and workforce. These changes include plans for relocation to authorized stay areas, exploration of new funding sources, and efforts to improve the quality of teachers.

Introduction

When you think of Cebu Island, images of pristine blue seas, white sandy beaches, mangoes, bananas, and abundant tourism resources such as casinos and resort hotels often come to mind. The island is a popular destination for tourists seeking some resort experiences. However, such glamorous resort areas constitute only small part of the island. When you step away from the resorts into the city, you can see houses constructed with corrugated iron, various fruits being sold on the streets, and street vendors approaching cars during traffic stops, which are common sights in developing countries. Numerous slum areas also exist, highlighting the significant economic disparity between the resort regions and the rest of the island.

This issue of economic disparity between regions is not unique to Cebu Island but extends to the entire Philippines. Despite substantial economic growth in the Philippines since the 2010s, its benefits have primarily accrued to the affluent, leaving the impoverished behind. The Philippine Statistics Authority defines those living below the national poverty line as individuals or families with a monthly consumption expenditure of less than 12,030 pesos for a household with five occupants or less than 79 pesos per day per individual. However, according to the Asian Development Bank (2023), the proportion of people living below the national poverty line in the Philippines was 18.1% in 2021. This figure is higher than neighboring countries such as Malaysia (8.4%) and Indonesia (9.5%). This underscores the challenge of economic upliftment for the impoverished amidst the country's economic growth. To address this situation, the Philippine government turned its attention to education. In 2011, the K-12 law was enacted, extending the compulsory education period from 10 years (6 years of elementary education and 4 years of secondary education) to 13 years (1 year of kindergarten, 6 years of elementary education, and 6 years of secondary education).

Okabe (2013) mentions three reasons for the government to emphasis on education: the shorter previous basic education period made it difficult for students to qualify for international universities, the cramped curriculum during the short basic education period led to lower academic proficiency, and students were not employable at the end of the basic education due to lack of qualifications. Education not only enhances academic abilities but also brings various skills necessary for life, including the formation of personality and abilities to live in a community. Uchida (2014) notes the cycle of poverty, emphasizing that if parents are impoverished, their children are likely to be as well. However, education, with its skill-forming function, can break this cycle particularly, early childhood education is attracting attention for its effectiveness in improving poverty. According to Knudsen, Heckman, Cameron, and Shonkoff (2006), pre-school education results in higher growth rates in subsequent academic achievements and higher average income at age 40 compared to those who did not receive pre-school education. The effectiveness of education, which also has an aspect of investing in human capital, becomes more effective through early childhood education. Okabe (2013) highlights the addition of the pre-school education period as a characteristic of K-12, attributing this to the emphasis on the importance of early childhood education.

This research, premised on the importance of early childhood education, analyzes changes in issues during the expansion of the early childhood education support project by the Philippine non-profit organization Tulay Sa Kinabuhi(TSK). This organization supports the lives of people in the slum areas of Talisay City, Cebu Island. The first section provides an overview of the Philippines and Cebu Island, along with an explanation of the Philippine education system. The second section delves into the importance of early childhood education, and the third section explains the activities and overview of Tulay Sa Kinabuhi. In the fourth section, based on Abe, Sato, Pak, Honda, and Yamamoto (2019) and Doi, Mizuguchi, and Yamaguchi (2023), the research compares the issues in location, funding, and workforce of TSK's early childhood education support project, the HOPE Children Center, between 2019 and 2023. In conclusion, the research highlights changes in location plans, fundraising efforts to overcome financial deficits, and improvements in the quality of teaching staff as indicators of progress in addressing these issues.
Table of Contents
Introduction
1 About the Philippines
　1-1 Overview of the Philippines and Cebu Island
　1-2 Philippine’s Education System
2 About Early Childhood Education
3 About Tulay Sa Kinabuhi
4 About HOPE Children’s Center
　4-1 Issues as of 2019
　4-2 HOPE Children’s Center in 2023
Conclusion
References
References