ASEAN Science Diplomacy at 10: Where the Scientist Meets the Policymaker

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

The ASEAN Science Diplomats Assembly (ASDA) proudly celebrates its 10th Founding Anniversary under the theme “A Decade of Science Diplomacy: Bridging Divides, Inspiring Lives.” This milestone is marked by a landmark partnership between two visionary leaders: globally eminent science diplomat Glenn Banaguas (The Scientist), widely recognized as the Father of Asian Science Diplomacy, and Hon. Brian Poe Llamanzares (The Policymaker), a dynamic legislator celebrated for his compassion, steadfast support for the youth, and advocacy for science, technology, and innovation.

The ASEAN Science Diplomats Assembly traces its roots to the Philippines, where it was founded in 2010 by Science Diplomat Glenn Banaguas as a pioneering initiative to harness science not for prestige but for service, protecting lives, strengthening communities, and building resilience in the face of uncertainty. Born in vulnerable communities and guided by the conviction that knowledge must serve, this genesis of science diplomacy became a covenant between science and society. In 2016, the vision was replicated and expanded to the ASEAN region through the US‑ASEAN Science and Technology Fellowship, a program of the US State Department in partnership with the ASEAN Secretariat, establishing ASDA as a regional platform for dialogue, collaboration, and capacity‑building. Since its inception, the Assembly has advanced the practice of science diplomacy across Southeast Asia, empowering emerging leaders to bridge scientific knowledge with policy action and fostering resilience.

This partnership underscores ASDA’s enduring mission to unite science, policy, and diplomacy in addressing urgent issues such as climate change, sustainability, and resilience. At the same time, it expands its reach into critical domains that shape everyday life, including food security, energy, water, human health, infrastructure, and transport, while embracing the challenges and opportunities brought by artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

Glenn Banaguas remarked, “Science diplomacy is the art of transforming dialogue into trust, and trust into purposeful action that safeguards peace, fortifies security, nurtures resilience, and upholds sustainability as the enduring measure of progress. It is more than negotiation; it is a covenant of nations, disciplines, and communities to consecrate knowledge in the service of humanity. As we commemorate a decade of the ASEAN Science Diplomats Assembly, we renew our solemn commitment to ensure that science, guided by empathy and elevated by diplomacy, continues to inspire lives, unite peoples, and shape a future worthy of humanity’s highest aspirations.”

Brian Poe Llamanzares emphasized the legislative dimension, saying, “Science must never remain confined within the walls of laboratories; it must be translated into policies that uplift lives and secure the future of our people. As lawmakers, we bear the solemn duty to transform knowledge into institutions that safeguard peace, strengthen security, and nurture resilience. This responsibility is not only legislative but moral, for it calls us to ensure that discoveries and innovations are woven into governance so they serve both present and future generations. In this way, sustainability becomes not merely an aspiration but a living promise, a legacy measured not by statistics alone, but by the dignity it protects, the hope it sustains, and the futures it illuminates.”

The 10th Anniversary celebration will convene diplomats, scientists, policymakers, and advocates from across ASEAN, highlighting the Assembly’s legacy of fostering dialogue and cooperation. The partnership between Banaguas and Poe Llamanzares signals a new chapter in advancing science diplomacy as a cornerstone of authentic development.

DepEd’s ARAL Program delivers early proof of learning reform in action

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

 

MAKATI CITY, 7 January 2026 — The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday reported measurable improvements in reading outcomes under the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, citing assessment data showing significant reductions in the number of struggling readers across grade levels, as the Marcos administration allocates Php8.93 billion in the proposed 2026 national budget to fully scale up the program nationwide. 

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the proposed Php8.93-billion allocation marks the first time ARAL will be fully funded since it was institutionalized into law, enabling the program to scale up proven strategies to help learners catch up in reading and mathematics.  

“Dito po sa ARAL Program, unprecedented din po iyong spending. Ito iyong para humabol tayo dahil lumalabas na nahuli na ang ating mga bata sa reading and math,” Angara said during Malacañang’s press briefing on Tuesday.

Based on DepEd’s Middle of School Year (MoSY) assessments with a 96 percent submission rate as of January 5, 2026, the proportion of struggling readers dropped compared with the beginning of the school year.  

Among Grades 3 to 6, reading readiness improved by an average of five points, while Grades 7 to 10 recorded gains of up to six to nine points, translating to 3.42 million learners in Grades 3–6 and 1.72 million learners in Grades 7–10 moving closer to grade-level proficiency in reading.

Behind the figures are learners like Rachel, a Grade 7 student from Iriga City. At the start of the school year, Rachel often hesitated to read aloud. After joining the ARAL Program, she now reads better in both Filipino and English and has gained confidence in class. “Salamat kasi may natutunan ako sa pagbabasa, napakalaking tulong po ito sa akin,” Rachel said, thanking her tutor and teacher for the support she received.

The department said these improvements were driven by structured remediation, focused tutorial sessions, and regular learner monitoring under the ARAL Program—interventions that will be expanded and standardized with full funding in 2026.

Under full funding for 2026, DepEd plans to engage more than 440,000 tutors nationwide, including both DepEd and non-DepEd personnel.  

Angara said the expanded budget would enable wider participation of external and volunteer tutors, reducing reliance on teacher overtime and easing classroom workload pressures.

With increased resources, DepEd estimates that ARAL coverage will expand to about 6.7 million learners in School Year 2026–2027, nearly double the roughly three million learners reached in 2025. The department said funding will also support tutor training aligned with literacy standards, improved learning materials, and strengthened monitoring and evaluation systems, including learner tracking through the Learner Information System.

 

The support of the President and the Congress for the program signals a shift from short-term learning recovery toward embedding remediation permanently within the basic education system, as the department continues to address persistent learning gaps in reading and mathematics nationwide.  

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

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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.