DepEd underscores PBBM’s promise to prioritize education in Albay school visit, PhilSports inauguration

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PASIG CITY, 19 November 2025 -- The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday reaffirmed that education remains central to the administration’s agenda, citing President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s back-to-back engagements in Albay and Pasig City as the national government focuses on learners’ welfare, disaster readiness, and youth development.



During the President’s briefing at Cararayan-Naga Elementary School in Tiwi, Albay on Tuesday, Education Secretary Sonny Angara noted the administration’s directive to accelerate relief efforts, reassess damaged infrastructure, and provide psychosocial support for affected families, especially children who have experienced trauma. DepEd also deployed learning kits to evacuation centers to ensure continuity of education while communities recover.

“Mandato natin sa DepEd na tiyakin na tiyakin na ligtas ang ating mga mag-aaral, at nabibigay ang kanilang mga kinakailangan, lalo sa panahon ng sakuna. The President’s emphasis on the welfare of children and the continuity of education reinforces our work on the ground,” Sec. Angara said.


On Wednesday, Sec. Angara also joined President Marcos, First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman John Patrick “Pato” Gregorio, and Philippine Olympics Committee (POC) President Abraham N. Tolentino in Pasig City for the ribbon-cutting ceremony of the refurbished PhilSports Complex, strengthening the government’s broader efforts to integrate sports development into holistic education.


The upgraded complex features improved dormitories, a redesigned Philippine Sports Museum, rehabilitated aquatic facilities, and modernized PSC offices. The improvements aim to support high-performance athletes while expanding access to youth sports programs nationwide.


In his message, Sec. Angara emphasized the significance of renewed sports spaces for DepEd’s grassroot sports programs.

“Sa loob ng maraming dekada, ang iba’t ibang sports complex sa bansa ang nagsilbing tunay na tahanan ng ating mga pambatong atleta,” Angara said. “With the country hosting the first-ever FIFA Futsal Women’s World Cup starting this Friday, DepEd gives its full support to PSC and the Marcos administration in strengthening sports programs to uplift the Filipino spirit of discipline and excellence.”


DepEd said the day’s events highlight the complementary roles of disaster response, youth development, and infrastructure improvement in fulfilling the administration’s education-centered vision.


“Whether in evacuation centers or national training grounds, the direction is clear—education, child welfare, and youth development remain at the core of government action,” Angara said.

Eating More, Growing Less: The Crisis of Stagnant Farms and the Widening Philippine Rice Gap

Wazzup Pilipinas!?

The Philippines is facing a critical tipping point. A startling disparity has emerged between the Filipino appetite and the capacity of the nation's farmers to feed it. In 2022 alone, Filipinos consumed 2.3 million metric tons more rice than the country produced. This staggering 18% shortfall has locked the nation into a deepening dependence on imported rice, effectively stalling years of government attempts to achieve self-sufficiency.

New research from Ateneo de Manila University’s John Gokongwei School of Management and Department of Environmental Science exposes the root of this crisis: a national rice output that has remained largely stagnant since 2017.

The Decade of Stagnation

The numbers paint a sobering picture of an industry struggling to keep pace with a growing nation. In the ten years leading up to 2023:

Production vs. Demand: Total production of palay (unmilled rice) grew by a meager 9% (from 18.4 to 20.1 million metric tons), failing to match the rise in population and consumption.

Idle Lands: Rice farmland expansion was virtually nonexistent, increasing by just 1%.

Slow Yields: Average yields improved by only 7%, moving from 3.9 to 4.2 metric tons per hectare.

Dispelling the "Myth of Urbanization"

For years, a common narrative has suggested that sprawling concrete cities are eating up the country's rice paddies. The researchers, however, have debunked this. They found no strong evidence that city expansion is the primary reason for farmland stagnation.

Instead, the true enemies of production are far more systemic and brutal: a combination of limited land expansion, slow yield growth, climate shocks, and uneven public investment.

A Tale of Two Archipelagos: Feast and Famine

The research reveals that the Philippines is not experiencing this crisis uniformly; rather, the data exposes sharp, dramatic regional contrasts.

The Regions in Retreat Between 2018 and 2023, some regions faced a collapse in production. The Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and Eastern Visayas (Region VIII) saw output plummet by 15% and 11% respectively. These declines were driven by a "perfect storm" of challenges:

Loss of rice farmland.

Repeated typhoons and punishing droughts.

Farmers abandoning rice to switch to more profitable crops.

The Unexpected Victors Conversely, other regions defied the trend with spectacular growth. The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) achieved a massive 40% increase in rice output. Cagayan Valley (Region II) and Ilocos (Region I) also posted significant gains of 27% and 16%.

These successes were not accidental. They were the result of:

Infrastructure: Expanded irrigation systems and farm mechanization.

Support: Improved seed programs and targeted regional initiatives.

Peace Dividends: In the specific case of BARMM, the surge is linked to dedicated investments and the political stability achieved in the region.

The Road Ahead: Targeted Strategy Over Blanket Policy

The authors of the study note that blanket national programs, such as the Rice Competitiveness Enhancement Fund (RCEF), have been insufficient to lift the productivity of lagging regions.

To close the widening deficit, the researchers argue that the Philippines must pivot toward regionally tailored, climate-resilient strategies. This includes:

Stronger irrigation systems.

Better-targeted support services.

Financial measures to lower costs for farmers.

There is still reason for hope. The success of regions like BARMM and Cagayan Valley provides a blueprint for the rest of the nation. With the right mix of policies and investments, the researchers remain optimistic that local rice production can grow again, finally narrowing the country's dependence on foreign grain.

The 0.9°C Pivot: How Three Agreed Actions Could Rescue the World from Catastrophe

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The Precipice of Catastrophe

The global climate trajectory has reached a terrifying inflection point. Under current government policies, the world is not merely drifting, but hurtling toward a catastrophic 2.6 ∘C of warming by the end of the century. Despite a decade since the Paris Agreement was adopted, progress has stagnated, and the chasm between current action and the 1.5 ∘C warming limit continues to widen. The planet is currently warming at an alarming rate of approximately 0.25 ∘C per decade. If we maintain our current course, this rate will barely slow, condemning communities and ecosystems worldwide to rapidly mounting, irreversible loss and damage.

But a lifeline exists, forged in the consensus of global leaders: the three crucial 2030 targets negotiated and agreed upon during the first Global Stocktake (GST1) at COP28. A new analysis reveals the monumental power of actually implementing these goals: to triple renewable energy capacity, double the rate of energy efficiency improvements, and substantially cut methane emissions.

The 0.9 ∘C Lifeline: Bending the Warming Curve

The full, concerted global implementation of these three COP28 Energy and Methane goals would deliver the single biggest step forward in climate action since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015.

The impact is nothing short of dramatic:

Averted Catastrophe: These actions would cut projected global warming this century by a staggering ∼0.9 ∘C. The estimated warming under current policies would fall from a catastrophic 2.6 ∘C to 1.7 ∘C, successfully bringing projected 21st century warming below the critical 2 ∘C threshold.

Emissions Overhaul: By 2030, global emissions would be approximately 14 GtCO₂e lower than expected under current policies, rising to 18 GtCO₂e lower by 2035. For the G20 nations—which account for about 80% of global emissions—this commitment alone would deliver reductions of around 11 GtCO₂e by 2030.

Crucially, this action provides an immediate buffer against accelerating climate impacts. Implementing the goals would immediately begin to slow the rate of warming, reducing it by a third in the next decade, and effectively halving it by 2040. This rapid deceleration is vital, offering the world a fighting chance to "catch up" on adaptation, giving communities and vulnerable ecosystems the precious time needed to cope with rising impacts.

The Three Pillars of Decarbonization

The three goals are a mutually reinforcing engine of change, each delivering a massive share of the required emissions cuts:

Tripling Renewables: This is the backbone of the energy transition. It drives fossil fuels out of the power system and provides the clean energy needed for economy-wide electrification. This goal accounts for roughly 40% of the G20's total emissions reductions.

Doubling Energy Efficiency: This pillar contributes another 40% of the total reductions. By striving for the most efficient use of energy in buildings, industry, and transport, efficiency minimizes waste and maximizes electrification across demand sectors.

Cutting Methane: Although methane reductions account for only about 20% of the total emissions cuts, the warming benefit is disproportionately large. Fast-acting methane mitigation, especially in the energy sector, contributes between one-third and one-half of the overall reduction in the rate of warming.

The Path Beyond the Pivot

While the implementation of these goals is technically feasible with existing technologies, the fight is far from over.

The 1.7 ∘C outcome, while a monumental improvement, represents a temperature that would still overshoot the Paris Agreement's 1.5 ∘C limit by at least 0.2 ∘C to 0.3 ∘C. The planet would still face a peak temperature of around 1.8 ∘C in this scenario.

To truly align with the Paris Agreement and limit the duration of this overshoot, further, deeper action is non-negotiable. This includes additional measures, such as halting deforestation by 2030, cutting other non-CO₂ emissions, and scaling up carbon dioxide removal.

The most immediate challenge, however, is one of global solidarity. The success of this planetary rescue mission hinges on scaled-up financial support. It is critical that richer countries step up to provide the necessary climate finance for poorer countries that lack the resources to act at the scale required.

The COP28 Energy and Methane goals are not merely ambitious suggestions; they are the agreed-upon, indispensable foundations for a resilient, low-carbon global economy and a decisive advance at the most critical juncture in human history. The analysis is clear: this is our clearest, fastest, and most achievable path to bending the warming curve and keeping a safe future within sight. The time for implementation is now.