DepEd, DBM establish Teacher Education Excellence Centers nationwide to modernize educator training

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 





MAKATI CITY, 9 March 2026 — Strengthening the foundation of the country’s education system, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) officially signed a landmark agreement on Monday to establish Teacher Education Excellence Centers (TEEC) nationwide.



The TEEC is envisioned as a national research center, innovation hub, and laboratory for teacher education.



It aims to bridge the gap between theory and classroom reality by producing evidence-based training models, modernizing curricula, and integrating advanced technology into educator preparation.



Education Secretary and Teacher Education Council (TEC) Chairperson Sonny Angara signed the DBM-TEC Joint Memorandum Circular (JMC) No. 1, Series of 2026 with Acting DBM Secretary Rolando Toledo, formalizing the fiscal support to the initiative.



Secretary Angara emphasized that while infrastructure is vital, the quality of instruction remains the heart of DepEd’s mission.

"The establishment of Teacher Education Excellence Centers represents a strategic reform that will strengthen and elevate our teaching workforce across the country," Angara said.



"Ito ay patunay ng ating sama-samang pagkilos upang iangat ang kalidad ng edukasyon sa bansa. Sa pangunguna ni President Bongbong Marcos, patuloy nating isusulong ang mga repormang magtitiyak ng mas matibay na pundasyon para sa kinabukasan ng ating mga mag-aaral,” he added.



The TEEC will support a wide range of stakeholders, including pre-service and in-service teachers, teacher educators, school leaders, and specialized groups such as child development workers, pre-service student tutors, TVET trainers, multigrade teachers, and deans of colleges of education.



To ensure nationwide reach, the TEC signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with each of the six Teacher Education Institutions (TEIs) that will serve as the program’s inaugural implementers.



These are the Philippine Normal University-Manila (National Capital Region); University of the Philippines-Los Baños (South Luzon); University of San Carlos (Visayas); Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (Northern Mindanao); Caraga State University (Eastern Mindanao); and Cotabato State University (BARMM).



The TEEC will function as the research arm of the TEC, tasked with developing programs that are not only high-quality but also contextualized to the unique needs of Filipino classrooms.

The establishment of the TEEC operationalizes the mandates of Republic Act No. 11713 or the Excellence in Teacher Education Act, which aims to elevate teacher education in the country.

DepEd implements energy conservation protocols, Friday work-from-home arrangement

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

MAKATI CITY, 9 March 2026 – In a proactive move to reduce energy consumption and optimize public resources, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday started implementing strict fuel conservation protocols and mandatory flexible work arrangements for its personnel.

The initiative follows the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. under Memorandum Circular No. 114 s. 2026, which seeks to mitigate the impact of rising fuel costs amid global geopolitical tensions.

“DepEd is fully committed to doing its part in reducing energy consumption across government operations while ensuring that our schools and offices continue to serve the public effectively,” Secretary Sonny Angara said.

“We are firmly resolved to ensure that these shifts in our operation do not cause a single day of delay in the delivery of essential government services to our learners and stakeholders,” Angara added.

Under DepEd Memorandum No. 18 s. 2026, the new protocols aim for a 10 to 20 percent reduction in electricity and fuel consumption through several key measures. These include maintaining air-conditioning settings at 24°C; activating sleep settings on equipment and strictly turning off non-essential lights and devices during breaks and after office hours; and encouraging the use of stairs where practicable.

Inter-agency meetings, consultations, and conferences will also be conducted virtually whenever possible, while official travel will be limited to essential activities.

To strengthen fleet efficiency, all DepEd offices shall consolidate official trips to reduce vehicle deployments, optimize travel routes, minimize vehicle idling, and adopt stricter fuel monitoring and preventive maintenance practices for government vehicles.

Starting March 9, 2026 and until lifted by Malacañang, DepEd will adopt a four-day onsite work arrangement from Monday to Thursday, designating Friday as the common work-from home (WFH) day for all covered non-teaching and related-teaching personnel.

Teaching personnel will continue their existing class schedules to ensure uninterrupted classes and completion of end-of-school-year activities.

To maintain high standards of productivity, all personnel on WFH status are required to submit Daily Time Records and Individual Daily Logs and Accomplishment Reports.

Heads of offices are tasked with ensuring that zero-backlog is maintained in compliance with the Ease of Doing Business and Efficient Government Service Delivery Act.

The Brewing Storm: As Middle East Tensions Ignite, Can Filipino Consumers Weather the Surge?

 

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

METRO MANILA — The sky over the Persian Gulf is thick with the smoke of intercepted missiles and the shadows of stealth fighters, but five thousand miles away, the shockwaves are being felt in the flickering lights of Filipino households.

As the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates into a high-stakes military chess match—targeting nuclear facilities and rattling the world’s most vital energy arteries—a different kind of battle is being waged in the Philippines: the fight for the Filipino wallet.

A Continent Away, A Kitchen Table Crisis

The timeline is chilling. Following Israeli airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites, and Tehran’s retaliatory strikes against U.S. bases across Qatar, Bahrain, and the UAE, the global oil market has entered a state of "red alert." For the Philippines, a country tethered to the volatile fluctuations of imported fuel, the geopolitical explosion in the Middle East is translating into a looming 16% spike in electricity rates.

"The role of the government is not only to issue warnings to citizens," says Bas Umali, National Coordinator of the consumer welfare group Kuryente.org. "It is the government’s mandate to protect us, particularly in situations like these."

The "Chokehold" on the Horizon

At the heart of the anxiety is the Strait of Hormuz. Through this narrow maritime passage flows 20% of the world’s oil supply. If the "Tensions of 2026" shut that gate, the ripples will turn into tsunamis.

Umali warns that while the Philippine power grid may not fail tomorrow, the economic architecture behind it is under immense pressure. Rising global oil prices are already inflating transportation costs for equipment and supplies. Combined with a depreciating peso and the rising cost of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG), the Philippines is facing a "perfect storm" of inflationary pressure.

The Plea: A Ceiling on the Surge

In response to this emergency, Kuryente.org has issued an urgent directive to the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC): Hold the line.

The group is calling for an immediate suspension of several additional energy charges that are currently padding consumer bills. These include:

The FIT-All (Feed-In-Tariff Allowance)

The GEA-All (Green Energy Auction Allowance)

The Universal Charge (UMC)

While the GEA-All was recently approved to fund the nation’s transition to renewable energy, advocates argue that a "just transition" cannot be built on the backs of those who can least afford it during a global crisis.

"It is time for the government to prioritize and seriously pursue policies that will protect ordinary consumers," Umali asserts. "Instead of passing these costs on to ordinary consumers, the government should begin identifying alternative sources of funding."

The Power to Act

Energy Secretary Sharon Garin has previously noted that the Department of Energy (DOE) lacks the authority to dictate oil prices in a deregulated market. However, Kuryente.org argues that the ERC holds a different set of keys. While the government cannot stop a missile in the Middle East, it can pause the implementation of domestic tariff increases that threaten to push working-class families into the dark.

As the technical working group of the House Committee on Energy navigates the "Just Energy Transition," the mandate has never been clearer. Sustainability is the goal for the future, but survival is the requirement for today.

The Looming Choice

The coming months will determine if the Philippines' energy policy can remain resilient in the face of war. As fuel prices soar and the "fear factor" grips the market, the eyes of the public are no longer on the distant horizon of the Middle East—they are on the regulators in Manila.

Will the government find a way to absorb the shock, or will the "16% surge" become a permanent fixture of the Filipino struggle? For Bas Umali and the millions of consumers he represents, the answer cannot wait for the smoke to clear.