The Department of Education (DepEd) has reiterated its commitment to addressing the persistent gaps in the Philippine education system through strengthened collaboration with stakeholders.
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In a statement issued on Wednesday, Jan. 29, DepEd committed to continuing its collaboration to address these gaps following the release of the Year 2 report from the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II).
“Certainly, I was once part of you. The work of EDCOM is very much welcomed and appreciated,” DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said.
Angara expressed his gratitude to Congress and EDCOM II for their continued support of DepEd and emphasized the importance of aligning efforts with the President’s directives as the legislative body unveiled its findings for Year Two.
“It’s a wonderful occasion—the release of the EDCOM Year 2 Report. We thank the Senate, under Senate President Chiz Escudero, for passing laws recommended by EDCOM II,” Angara said.
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Angara, a former EDCOM II Commissioner, was referring to the 37 priority bills in the legislative process, five of which have already been enacted into law, including the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Law (Republic Act No. 12028) and the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act (Republic Act No. 12080).
At DepEd, Angara has led reforms aligned with the directives of President Marcos and EDCOM II’s recommendations.
He implemented Early Procurement Activities (EPA) for major but slow-moving procurement items such as textbooks, laptops, and other learning resources. The Department is also updating its policy on the procurement and quality assurance of textbooks and teacher manuals.
Additionally, the agency is prioritizing the revision of the Senior High School curriculum, reducing the number of subjects while ensuring they are more impactful, with a stronger focus on critical skills and knowledge areas.
To address classroom shortages, DepEd is accelerating the construction of 105,000 classrooms, starting with a 15,000-classroom package currently being processed this year through the Public-Private Partnership (PPP).
The Year 2 report, titled “Fixing the Foundations: A Matter of National Survival,” provides insights and lessons on the priorities of the Philippine basic education system.
“We worked in lockstep with our former colleagues, Secretary Sonny Angara and Secretary Kiko Benitez, who have since taken our collective call for change to the executive branch,” EDCOM II wrote in its preface.
“This year, no less than the President has also expressed his full support, personally acting on measures to ensure coordination among education agencies and emphasizing the need for greater focus on the first 1,000 days,” it added.