Manila: The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday assured direct support to teachers serving as tutors in public schools under the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program. This initiative aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.'s directive to ensure the welfare of public school educators and advance quality education.
According to Philippines News Agency, Education Secretary Sonny Angara stated that proper compensation will be provided to teachers participating in the agency's remediation program, which emphasizes Reading, Science, and Mathematics. Angara assured that as the ARAL program expands, teachers will not be overburdened, maintaining set limitations on their workload and ensuring proper compensation for their extra service.
Under the ARAL program, teachers serving as tutors during weekdays will receive teaching overload pay if they exceed the prescribed six-hour classroom teaching load. On weekends, holidays, and long vacation periods, teachers can earn Vacation Service Credits (VSCs), with one hour of service equating to 1.5 hours of VSC. Angara emphasized that successful reforms in the education system depend on simultaneously supporting both learners and teachers.
Nearly PHP2 billion has been allocated to expand tutor support under the ARAL program, a significant increase from the previous PHP150 million sourced through the Department of Labor and Employment's Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers Program and Government Internship Program. Schools currently have access to PHP1.09 billion in existing ARAL funds, with an additional PHP1.77 billion scheduled for release. These funds will cover teaching and learning resources, session support materials, and essential monitoring activities.
For 2026, the ARAL Program has a total budget of PHP8.94 billion, with over PHP2.25 billion allocated for learning materials. While the DepEd acknowledges that current funding remains insufficient to meet all requirements, the agency is maximizing the available budget to address critical expenses and support schools. To further alleviate pressure on school-level resources, the department is actively processing support funds to facilitate the training and prompt mobilization of tutors.
Additionally, the DepEd plans to launch an online platform for applicants within June. This platform aims to simplify the mobilization and training of tutors, including qualified external professionals, to supplement school personnel.
