Learner voice anchored in policy as DepEd reforms move toward future-ready education

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MAKATI CITY, 2 February 2026 – The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday said learner participation is helping ground ongoing education reforms on actual classroom experience, as the agency works to strengthen foundational learning and improve how teaching and assessment are delivered in schools.

Speaking at the International Day of Education celebration at Gen. Pio del Pilar National High School in Makati City, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said DepEd’s reform agenda is increasingly learner-centered, particularly in the early grades where learning foundations are built. 

“We will have universal feeding for all public schools in the Philippines for kindergarten and grade 1, all for 180 days for the full school cycle. For the first time in Philippine history. And the budget is now almost 10 times more,” Angara said. 

He said the expansion of the School-Based Feeding Program reflects the Department’s emphasis on foundational learning and learner readiness. 

“Kung titignan natin yung mga bansa na maunlad sa edukasyon, nakatutok po sila doon sa pundasyon. ‘Pag mahina ang pundasyon, mahina din ang itatayong gusali o itatayong halili. So definitely, and it doesn't just involve what we teach in the classroom. It involves what we do at home. How we bring up our children,” Angara said. 

As part of efforts to make learning more engaging, Angara urged schools and teachers to maximize the use of digital and instructional tools, such as Khan Academy Philippines, Canva, Google, and Microsoft, made available by the Department. 

“So by all means, let's make use of the tools being made available to you by the Department to maximize our students' learning. We really want to make things more fun, more engaging. Because we realize this is a system that we all co-create together. And it's for the benefit of everyone,” Angara added. 

Education partners also highlighted the role of young people as active contributors to reform. “As lifelong learners, volunteers, peer educators, innovators, advocates, and future leaders, youth are not just participants in education. They are its driving force,” said Ivan Anthony Henares, secretary general of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines. 

UNICEF Philippines Country Representative Kyungsun Kim said learner participation strengthens the relevance of education reforms. 

“Your voice, your creativity, your courage, and your power to help shape the future of education in the Philippines and the future of the country,” Kim said. 

The event, themed “The Power of Youth in Co-Creating Education,” brought together student leaders, youth advisers, teachers, and DepEd officials from the National Capital Region.  

DepEd deepens church, civil society ties to reach underserved learners

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TAGAYTAY CITY, 3 February 2026 — Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Tuesday said the Department of Education (DepEd) is strengthening partnerships with the Church and civil society groups to reach learners left behind by poverty, mobility, and weak retention, as part of a broader push to place learners at the center of education reform.





Speaking at the 42nd National Social Action General Assembly of Caritas Philippines in Tagaytay City, Angara said education reform, like pastoral work, requires sustained presence in communities and close attention to the daily realities of learners and teachers, particularly in underserved areas.




Angara pointed to DepEd’s collaboration with Caritas Philippines’ nationwide network of 86 diocesan social action centers to extend the reach of key programs, including school-based feeding, learning recovery, and the Alternative Learning System (ALS), particularly for out-of-school youth and other marginalized learners.



“We take our inspiration from all of you. Your stories and successes drive us towards meaningful reforms,” Angara said, noting that partnerships help government programs respond to realities on the ground, from hunger that affects learning to learners who need flexible pathways back to school.





Angara cited the expanded School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP), now covering all Kindergarten and Grade 1 learners nationwide, as an example of how DepEd is responding to evidence linking nutrition and learning.




He also underscored the scale-up of learning recovery through the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, which provides structured tutoring and remediation for millions of learners. Angara said community and church-based groups can complement these efforts through volunteer tutoring, mentoring, and local learning initiatives, particularly in areas with limited access to formal support.



The education secretary further highlighted the role of the Alternative Learning System (ALS) as a key entry point for out-of-school youth, working adults, and other marginalized learners seeking a second chance at basic education. He acknowledged the contribution of church-led initiatives, such as community-based learning centers, in helping learners return to education through flexible and trust-based approaches.



Angara said supporting teachers remains central to DepEd’s reform agenda, noting recent efforts to reduce administrative requirements, expand welfare support, and promote thousands of teachers.

Fellow Cabinet members Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon and Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rex Gatchalian, along with church leaders and civil society representatives nationwide, also joined the gathering, which focused on strengthening partnerships to improve service delivery across social sectors.




Meanwhile, Angara thanked the Society of Jesus Educational Apostolate (SJEA), which brings together Jesuit schools and universities nationwide, for its support of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) and its reform agenda. He acknowledged the Jesuit network’s endorsement of the commission’s findings, which he said helped build momentum for major policy shifts in education.



Angara said the long-standing work of Jesuit schools and other faith-based institutions in communities makes them vital partners in translating national reforms into concrete gains for learners, particularly those most at risk of dropping out or being left behind.

DepEd advances transparency measures in education procurement with Open Ownership partnership

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MAKATI CITY, 2 February 2026 – The Department of Education (DepEd) has formalized a partnership with Open Ownership to strengthen transparency, integrity, and risk detection in public procurement, particularly in the education sector where government spending is largest and most geographically dispersed.



The partnership was sealed through a memorandum of agreement signed on Monday, positioning DepEd to pilot the use of beneficial ownership data in procurement. Beneficial ownership refers to identifying the natural persons who ultimately own, control, or benefit from companies participating in government contracts, beyond the names of incorporators or signatories on paper.

“Gusto naming malaman kung sino talaga ang nasa likod ng mga kumpanyang ka-transaksiyon ng gobyerno. Kapag malinaw iyon, mas madaling maiwasan ang problema at mas mabilis na maihatid ang silid-aralan, libro, at tulong na kailangan ng mga bata. Mas siguradong sa paaralan napupunta ang pera, hindi sa bulsa ng iilan,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.


With a record budget this 2026, DepEd is the country’s largest procuring entity, with procurement activities that directly affect classrooms, textbooks, school buildings, and learner support nationwide. The agency sees stronger transparency and risk management as key to ensuring that education funds are delivered more quickly and effectively to schools.


Under the agreement, DepEd and Open Ownership will conduct a retrospective analysis of selected procurement contracts to examine how beneficial ownership information can help flag potential conflicts of interest, undisclosed related parties, bid rotation, and market concentration. The pilot will also test which data points are most useful, at what stages of procurement they matter most, and how their impact can be measured.


Angara said the initiative supports ongoing reforms to improve budget execution and reduce procurement risks, ensuring that public investments translate into timely delivery of classrooms, learning materials, and services for learners.


The initiative aligns with the New Government Procurement Act, which institutionalized beneficial ownership transparency as a safeguard against corruption and collusion in public contracting. The law requires suppliers to disclose information on who ultimately controls or benefits from their companies, shifting procurement oversight from a purely compliance-based approach to a more risk-based and evidence-driven system.


Open Ownership, an international organization that supports governments in implementing beneficial ownership transparency, will provide technical assistance, capacity-building, and analytical tools to DepEd procurement officials. This includes hands-on workshops and the co-development of an impact measurement framework to assess how beneficial ownership data improves procurement outcomes.


DepEd emphasized that the pilot is a learning and system-strengthening exercise, not an investigation or a finding of wrongdoing. Results are expected to inform future policy refinements, internal controls, and procurement processes across the department.


DepEd is one of the first government agencies in the Philippines to pilot the systematic use of beneficial ownership data in public procurement, marking a significant step in operationalizing procurement reforms and advancing data-informed governance, as education continues to receive one of the largest allocations in the national budget.