Future-Ready EducAItion: PBBM, Angara launch AI Program to support teachers, learners

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

 

QUEZON CITY, 9 January 2026 — Learners, teachers, parents, and school leaders will be guided and upskilled on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in basic education, as President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Friday led the launch of the Accelerating Governance and Adaptive Pedagogy through Artificial Intelligence (Project AGAP.AI). 

The government’s flagship initiative places education stakeholders at the center of the country’s AI transition, providing them with clear frameworks, training, and safeguards to ensure that artificial intelligence strengthens teaching, school governance, and learning outcomes amid rapid technological change. Project AGAP.AI will be implemented in phases in 2026.

“In our language, Agapay means to support or to bridge. This is what we are trying to do today, standing next to our people and bridging the gap between technology and education,” President Marcos said.

Sec. Angara said Project AGAP.AI is anchored on a clear national framework aligned with the Bagong Pilipinas agenda and the Quality Basic Education Development Plan (QBEDP).

“Isang malinaw na framework, na nakaangkla sa Bagong Pilipinas at sa Quality Basic Education Development Plan. Para palakasin ang pagtuturo, pagandahin ang pamamahala, at maghatid ng mas mahusay na resulta sa buong education system,” Angara said. “Makatao. Makaguro. Makabata. This is how we build a future-ready Philippines. And a future-ready ASEAN.”

A core feature of Project AGAP.AI is large-scale capacity-building. Throughout 2026, DepEd will roll out a nationwide AI training program, branded as AI Ready ASEAN Philippines, designed for teachers, learners, and parents, targeted to reach up to 1.5 million participants nationwide, including 1.05 million learners, 300,000 teachers, and 150,000 parents. The training program is being implemented alongside local partner implementers such as Limitless Lab Organization, SmartCitiesPH, Inc., Break the Fake Movement, CGPH Incorporated, and ASEAN Youth Organization.

DepEd said the initiative is funded by the ASEAN Foundation and powered by Google.org. The training introduces AI in plain language, covering fundamentals, practical classroom use, ethics and data privacy, and how to address risks such as misinformation.  

The Department also signed a Memorandum of Agreement with ASEAN Foundation during the launch to formalize its partnership to promote responsible and inclusive AI literacy in the country.

To ensure clear guardrails, DepEd is set to release its Foundational Guidelines on the Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Basic Education. The guidelines will outline standards on responsible use, learner protection, inclusivity, and ethical deployment of AI tools in schools.

 

Curriculum reforms are also underway. DepEd plans to integrate AI concepts into the basic education curriculum to strengthen learners’ AI literacy and computational thinking. Complementing this, AI-focused in-service training modules for teachers are scheduled for rollout by the second quarter of 2026 to support classroom implementation.

The initiative is being implemented with the support of both international and local partners. DepEd is working with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Responsible AI for Social Empowerment & Education (MIT RAISE) and the Day of AI Initiative on curriculum integration and teacher training.

At the system level, DepEd will pilot emerging AI-powered tools in 2026 to support teaching, assessment, and school management, developed by the Education Center for AI Research (ECAIR), with the goal of strengthening data-driven and evidence-based decision-making across the education system. Existing AI-powered platforms already in use will also be expanded, subject to national standards on reliability, fairness, and data privacy.  

Project AGAP.AI aligns with the ASEAN Vision 2045, and the Marcos administration’s broader digital transformation agenda, with education positioned as a critical foundation for preparing Filipinos to navigate an increasingly AI-driven economy.

About "WazzupPilipinas.com"

WazzupPilipinas.com is the fastest growing and most awarded blog and social media community that has transcended beyond online media. It has successfully collaborated with all forms of media namely print, radio and television making it the most diverse multimedia organization. The numerous collaborations with hundreds of brands and organizations as online media partner and brand ambassador makes WazzupPilipinas.com a truly successful advocate of everything about the Philippines, and even more since its support extends further to even international organizations including startups and SMEs that have made our country their second home.