Wazzup Pilipinas!?
PASAY CITY, 27 January 2026 — The Department of Education (DepEd) committed to lead the next decade of education reform following the launch of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) Final Report, “Turning Point: A Decade of Necessary Reforms (2026–2035),” as Education Secretary Sonny Angara moves to translate long-standing recommendations into concrete, time-bound actions for schools, teachers, and learners.
Angara said many of the EDCOM 2 recommendations are already reflected in ongoing initiatives under President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s administration, particularly those focused on learning recovery, strengthening foundational skills, and advancing system-wide governance reforms.
“Many of the recommendations reflect reforms that DepEd has already started implementing. What we are doing now is moving faster, scaling up, and tightening accountability,” Angara said.
He added that the EDCOM 2 Final Report should be treated as a shared national agenda that requires sustained cooperation across government and society.
“Turning Point is ultimately a nation-building agenda, and its success will depend on collective action,” Angara said, calling on lawmakers, local governments, industry partners, parents, and civil society to sustain reforms beyond political cycles.
Reforms are being anchored earlier in a child’s learning journey through closer coordination among education, health, and nutrition agencies, alongside stronger participation by local governments.
Curriculum harmonization, workforce training, and unified data systems are being rolled out to strengthen early learning delivery. It will be supported by expanded feeding and parent engagement programs beginning School Year 2026–2027, particularly in high-need communities.
At the classroom level, the revised K to 10 curriculum is being rolled out nationwide, supported by large-scale teacher training and earlier alignment of learning materials. Learning recovery is being implemented at scale through diagnostic-driven interventions under the ARAL Program, while national and international assessment results are being opened to schools, local governments, and parents through Project BUKAS to support timely, school-level action.
By School Year 2026–2027, reforms in grading, assessment, and promotion are expected to reinforce mastery-based learning and ensure that learner progression reflects actual learning outcomes.
Teachers and school leaders remain central to the reform agenda. Administrative workload is being reduced through the deployment of non-teaching personnel and the digitization of school processes, while professional development and career progression systems are being aligned more closely with instructional competence.
Meanwhile, Senior High School programs are being strengthened through closer coordination with industry, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), while reforms in the Alternative Learning System (ALS) are improving learner tracking, literacy outcomes, and completion rates.
To support these reforms, school infrastructure delivery is being accelerated. Alongside collaborating with local government units, public-private partnerships were reactivated, enabling large-scale school infrastructure projects to move forward. Biddings are set to begin this year for PPP, with simultaneous construction expected by the first quarter of 2027, addressing the country’s 165,000-classroom shortage.
DepEd said it will continue working with Congress, local governments, and development partners to monitor progress under the National Education and Workforce Development Plan, emphasizing that the next decade of education reform will be judged by faster implementation and measurable improvements in learning outcomes.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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