<b>Towards the Development of a Tool to Measure Socio-Emotional Competencies</b>

Socio-Emotional Learning (SEL) underpins the development of Socio-Emotional Competencies (SEC), essential for successful life navigation. Despite global recognition of SEL's importance, few local studies have explored its impact on Filipino learners. To address this, researchers developed the Assessment of Social and Emotional Competencies (ASEC) to measure students' SEL. The ASEC was tested with 1,211 Filipino students. Results showed high internal consistency (r=.76-.94) and good model fit (TLI=.91-.97, RMSEA=.02-.04). Predictive analyses revealed that higher-grade students had lower socio-emotional competence. Researchers recommend enhancing scales with weak consistency and exploring the link between socio-emotional competencies and academic performance.