Manila: The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday committed to lead the implementation of the roadmap of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) following its Final Report, "Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reforms (2026-2035)."
According to Philippines News Agency, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara stated that many of the recommendations have already been incorporated into ongoing reforms driven by the agency, in line with directives from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. Angara emphasized the commitment to accelerating progress, enhancing scale, and bolstering accountability.
Key areas of focus include learning recovery, foundational skills, and system-wide governance reforms. Angara highlighted the importance of a whole-of-nation approach to tackle existing challenges, urging ongoing collaboration among government agencies, local government units, industry partners, parents, and other stakeholders.
The DepEd is enhancing early learning through curriculum harmonization, teacher training, and unified data systems. For the 2026 to 2027 academic year, the agency plans to expand feeding and parent engagement programs. The revised Kindergarten to Grade 10 curriculum is being implemented with extensive teacher training and alignment of learning resources.
The ARAL program supports learning recovery interventions, and Project BUKAS facilitates access to national and international assessment results for schools, local governments, and parents, encouraging timely school-level actions.
To support teachers and ensure quality education, administrative workloads have been reduced with the deployment of non-teaching staff, alongside improved career progression systems. Digitization within DepEd aims to enhance school processes.
The Alternative Learning System (ALS) is being improved to boost literacy outcomes, learner monitoring, and completion rates. For higher and technical education, collaboration with the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) has been strengthened.
In addressing classroom shortages, DepEd is advancing early procurement measures and more flexible public-private partnerships (PPP) for large-scale school infrastructure projects. Biddings under the PPP are expected to commence within the year, with construction projected to start in the first quarter of 2027.
