Recognizing the urgent need to address the country’s learning crisis and strengthen the foundational skills of Filipino learners, the Department of Education (DepEd) officially launched the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program on Saturday, September 13.

The initiative, launched in line with President Marcos’ birthday and the celebration of this year’s International Literacy Day on September 8, underscores the administration’s priority to improve foundational skills and address learning gaps among Filipino students.

The ARAL Program, mandated under Republic Act No. 12028, provides tutorial support for Kindergarten to Grade 10 learners in Reading, Mathematics, and Science.

It aims to help students catch up on grade-level competencies, particularly those who struggled with learning losses during the pandemic years.

“Layunin natin sa ARAL na hindi lamang tiyakin na makakahabol ang ating mga mag-aaral na nahuhuli sa klase (Our goal in the ARAL Program is not only to ensure that students who are falling behind can catch up)—we are also committed to building stronger foundational skills, because Key Stage 1 is the most critical stage in every child’s development,” DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said.

“Kaya’t lubos ang pasasalamat natin sa ating mahal na Pangulo na tiniyak na maisasabatas ang programang ito (That’s why we are deeply grateful to our beloved President for ensuring that this program was enacted into law),” he added.

DepEd rolled out the program simultaneously nationwide, with members of its Executive Committee (ExeCom) leading activities across different regions.

The program will begin with ARAL-Reading in the second quarter of School Year 2025–2026, prioritizing learners who are low, high-emerging, or frustrated readers.

DepEd has already identified 6.7 million learner-beneficiaries, who will be supported by more than 447,000 tutors and 45,000 school heads. In future phases, ARAL will expand to ARAL-Mathematics (Grades 1–10), ARAL-Science (Grades 3–10), and ARAL-Summer Programs.

To ensure effective delivery, DepEd has conducted nationwide tutor training, distributed learning resources, and implemented the ARAL School Readiness and Responsiveness Audit (ASRRA).

Tutors will include teachers, para-teachers, pre-service teachers, and other trained individuals, all of whom will receive training and compensation, DepEd said.

Parents and guardians will also undergo orientations to strengthen their role in reinforcing lessons at home.

During the launch, DepEd also distributed “EduKahon” — its standardized school recovery kit — underscoring the agency’s commitment to ensuring continuous learning even during disruptions.

DepEd said the ARAL Program builds on previous literacy initiatives such as the Bawat Bata Makababasa Program (BBMP) and the Nationwide Learning Recovery Program (NLRP), both of which yielded improvements in student reading and comprehension.