Public schools to receive bamboo-made desks as Angara puts 15-year old industry policy into practice

 

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MAKATI CITY, 19 January 2026 — Under the leadership of Education Secretary Sonny Angara, the Department of Education (DepEd) will begin rolling out bamboo-made school furniture to public school learners and teachers in selected schools starting February, putting into practice Executive Order (EO) No. 879, s. 2010, which mandates a 20 percent bamboo allocation for school furniture.  

From February to March 2026, DepEd will distribute 144,081 sets of learners’ tables and chairs and 3,235 sets for teachers, focusing on the replacement of worn, shared, or unusable furniture that affects daily classroom activities.

In carrying out this distribution, DepEd is also applying a long-standing government requirement that at least 20 percent of school furniture be made from bamboo, a policy issued in 2010 and now reflected in actual procurement and delivery through climate-resilient, engineered bamboo under the leadership of Education Secretary Sonny Angara, consistent with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s agenda on sustainability and local industries.

 "Matagal na ang itong polisiya. Pero, ngayon ay binibigyang-buhay natin ito. For the first-time in history, maipapatupad natin itong mandatory 20% bamboo allocation sa school furniture," said Secretary Angara.  

"Sa DepEd, gusto nating ipakita na puwedeng maging matibay, sustainable, at kalidad ang school furniture para sa kapakanan ng ating mga learners at teachers. Magandang paraan din ito para ma-promote natin ang Tatak Pinoy na isinulong natin sa Senado noon para kilalanin ang creativity ng kapwa natin Pilipino,” he added.

Apart from that, the Department also noted that the construction of around 5,766 classrooms is currently underway, amounting to Php 16.19 billion, under the For Issuance of Special Allotment Release Order (FISARO) Batch 1.  

Out of the said funding, DepEd underscored that the agency targets the construction of 2,333 Learning Continuity Spaces (LCS) worth Php 3.5 billion under the new construction funding, along with another 1,333 LCS amounting to Php 2 billion under the Disaster Preparedness and Response Program (DPRP).

Secretary Angara also said that the agency is aiming to construct 800 Last Mile Schools classrooms, amounting to Php 3 billion, as well as another 1,300 classrooms with approved Program of Works amounting to Php 3 billion. Under FISARO Batch 1, the agency also allotted Php 3.69 billion for 24,424 teachers’ tables and chairs and 1,099,111 learners’ tables and chairs, ensuring better learning environments nationwide.

Meanwhile, under FISARO Batch 2, DepEd has allotted Php 11.35 billion for the completion of 2,067 classrooms, the repair of 11,886 classrooms, and the restoration of 258 Gabaldon facilities. The Department has also funded the construction and improvement of School Health Facilities, amounting to Php 500 million.

“Muli, malinaw ang ating vision ngayong taon. Patuloy nating sosolusyonan ang kakulangan sa pasilidad natin sa buong bansa. We will continue to provide efficient and faster solutions by maximizing the funding that we got this year—for the sake of our teachers and learners,” Sec. Angara said.

Agoda and WWF Extend Conservation Partnership with Fifth Edition of Eco Deals Program and New Five-Year MOU

 

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2026 Eco Deals Edition Delivers Enhanced Visibility for Accommodation Partners While Advancing Wildlife Protection and Habitat Conservation Across Asia

Digital travel platform Agoda and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) have unveiled the fifth edition of Eco Deals today, celebrating five years of successful partnership and significant conservation milestones throughout Asia.

The 2026 program features Agoda’s largest funding commitment yet, pledging US$1.5 million to support conservation in 10 Asian markets and marking the signing of a new five-year Memorandum of Understanding to further their joint efforts. Eco Deals offers travelers discounts of up to 20% at participating properties during a month-long anniversary campaign, followed by year-round savings of up to 15%, with Agoda donating US$1 to WWF for every completed booking.

This partnership will also benefit Agoda’s accommodation partners through marketing support across Agoda’s platforms, including targeted marketing placements and in-app discovery. Upon completion of the program, participating properties will receive a certificate recognizing their contribution to the protection of wildlife and nature across Asia.

“The signing of a new five-year MoU with WWF is a testament to our shared vision and action for long-term conservation and industry collaboration,” said Andrew Smith, Senior Vice President, Supply, Agoda. "In the past year alone, the program has seen participating properties grow by more than 45%, with strong momentum in markets like Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia. But what’s most rewarding is seeing how Eco Deals has become a platform for hotels to differentiate themselves, connect with sustainability‑minded travelers and contribute to meaningful conservation work across Asia.” 

DepEd Press Release (Stronger, safer schools for learners and teachers through DepEd–UP Disaster Resilience partnership)

 

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Stronger, safer schools for learners and teachers through DepEd–UP Disaster Resilience partnership

 

MAKATI CITY, 19 January 2026 — Public school Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) coordinators, teachers, and learners nationwide are set to immediately benefit from new disaster preparedness training and science-based tools following the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the Department of Education and the University of the Philippines recently in Diliman, Quezon City. 

The partnership is intended to address persistent gaps faced by schools in disaster-prone areas, particularly the lack of localized hazard data, structured training, and coordinated emergency protocols, which often leaves teachers and learners vulnerable during floods, earthquakes, and other calamities.  

Under the agreement, UP will provide technical and scientific expertise to support DepEd’s disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation and mitigation, and emergency response efforts across public schools nationwide. 
 

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the partnership aims to ensure that schools are better prepared before disasters strike, so learning disruptions are minimized.

“Hindi dapat napuputol ang pagkatuto dahil lang sa kakulangan ng paghahanda. Sa tulong ng UP, through its research and public service mandate, masisiguro nating handa ang ating mga guro at mag-aaral. May tamang kaalaman, datos, at sistema para manatiling ligtas at makabangon agad kapag may sakuna,” Angara said.

As an immediate step of the partnership, DepEd is encouraging DRRM coordinators nationwide to enroll in the relaunched Fundamentals of Resilience Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) offered by the UP Resilience Institute (UPRI) in partnership with UP Open University. The free, fully online courses will run from January 26 to February 20, 2026, and will cover the basics of resilience as well as hazard and risk assessment.

UP President Angelo Jimenez said the collaboration underscores the role of UP, as the national university, in protecting learners and teachers, especially as climate-related risks intensify.  

The partnership will be implemented through the UPRI, led by Executive Director Mahar Lagmay, which will support DepEd in conducting multi-hazard risk assessments, developing localized hazard maps, integrating disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation modules into learning platforms, and designing a digital hazard risk platform and monitoring systems. 
 

For DepEd schools, the immediate impact is clearer access to training, data, and tools that make disaster preparedness more practical, reducing uncertainty for teachers and helping ensure that learners can return to safe classrooms as quickly as possible after emergencies.