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.

𝐀𝐤𝐥𝐚𝐭 𝐓𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐤𝐨𝐥 𝐬𝐚 𝐊𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐚𝐢𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐮𝐧𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐭, 𝐈𝐧𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐧𝐬𝐚𝐝 𝐬𝐚 𝐀𝐫𝐚𝐰 𝐧𝐢 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐝𝐚

Wazzup Pilipinas! 



Inilunsad ng KWF ang aklat na Ubbóg Ti Asin: Kuwento at Kuwenta ng mga Babaeng Manunurat ng Nueva Vizcaya sa Gawad Julian Cruz Balmaseda na ginanap sa awditoryum ng PIA noong 28 Enero 2026.

Ang aklat na isinulat ni Dr. Lovella Gamponia-Velasco ay tungkol sa danas ng mga babaeng manunulat sa Nueva Vizcaya na madalas naisasantabi o hindi nabibigyang-pagkilala ang malikhaing talino sa larangan ng panitikan.



Ayon sa awtor, ang ubbóg ti asin ay Ilokanong termino na literal na nangangahulugang “salt spring” sa Ingles at ipinahahayag bilang metapora ng kababaihang manunulat na hindi kilala.



Sa konteksto, mayroong ubbóg ti asin na dating dinarayo sa Nueva Vizcaya na tumigil sa pagluwal ng tubig at asin noong dekada 90 dahil sa isang lindol. Pagkatapos ng maraming taon, nagkaroon ng bagong ubbóg ti asin na patuloy pang lumalaki at pinangangalagaan sa lalawigan.



Inuugnay ito ni Gamponia-Velasco sa kaniyang akda sa pagbawi, pagkilala, at pagbibigay-boses sa mga babaeng manunulat mula sa Nueva Vizcaya.



Mula ang aklat na ito sa nagwaging disertasyon sa Gawad Julian Cruz Balmaseda noong 2017. Ang Gawad Balmaseda ay pagkilala sa pinakamahusay na tesis at disertasyon na nakasulat sa Filipino bilang ambag sa intelektuwalisasyon ng wikang pambansa.



Si Gamponia-Velasco ay kasalukuyang nanunungkulan bilang Professor 6 sa Research and Development Office at Campus Coordinator ng Nueva Vizcaya State University.