House Speaker Martin Romualdez says the Department of Education's (DepEd) Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program will help address the country’s learning crisis.

The Leyte 1st district representative said the ARAL progam affirms President Marcos' vision of transforming the education sector under the Bagong Pilipinas agenda and achieving his goal of having at least one college or technical-vocational graduate in every Filipino family.

“Matagal na nating hangad na palakasin ang kakayahan ng ating mga mag-aaral sa pagbabasa, sipnayan, at agham—hindi lamang upang sila ay makahabol sa klase, kundi para mabigyan sila ng matibay na pundasyon sa mga susunod pang baitang. Sa pamamagitan ng ARAL Program, maaalalayan na natin ang ating mga anak hanggang sila ay maging kumpiyansa sa kanilang kaalaman,” Romualdez said.

(We have long aspired to strengthen our students’ abilities in reading, mathematics, and science—not only so they can catch up in class, but to provide them with a solid foundation for the succeeding grade levels. Through the ARAL Program, we can now support our children until they become confident in their knowledge.)

“Ang hakbang na ito na isinabatas ng Pangulong Marcos ay pagpapatunay ng kalinga at pag-aaruga ng pamahalaan para sa kinabukasan ng ating mga mag-aaral bilang mga susunod na pinuno na magtataguyod sa ating mahal na Pilipinas,” added the Speaker.

(This initiative, enacted into law by President Marcos, is a testament to the government’s intent to care for and nurture the future of our students as the next leaders who will uphold our beloved Philippines.)

Romualdez assured both learners and educators that the House of Representatives will provide the necessary support to sustain the program and other reforms aimed at enhancing Philippine education.

“Bilang mga mambabatas at kinatawan ng taongbayan, buo ang aming suporta sa hangarin ng Pangulo na tuluyang baguhin at paunlarin ang sistemang pang-edukasyon. Hindi kami titigil at patuloy kaming gagawa ng mga panukalang batas at maglalaan ng pondo upang matugunan ang mga pangangailangan ng mga mag-aaral at guro,” he stressed.

(As legislators and representatives of the people, we fully support the President’s goal to fundamentally reform and improve the education system. We will not stop and will continue to craft legislative proposals and allocate funding to address the needs of students and teachers.)

The Speaker issued the statement after DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara launched the ARAL Program over the weekend pursuant to Republic Act (RA) No.12028, signed by President Marcos in October last year.

Under the program, learners from Kindergarten to Grade 10 will receive tutorial support in reading, mathematics, and science to help them achieve the competencies required at their respective levels.

For School Year 2025–2026, ARAL will prioritize reading (ARAL-Reading) to assist learners classified as low, emerging, or frustrated readers. The reading program will roll out in the second quarter of the school year, with eventual expansion into ARAL-Mathematics (Grades 1–10), ARAL-Science (Grades 3–10), and summer programs.

So far, DepEd has identified 6,713,352 learner-beneficiaries, to be supported by 447,537 tutors and 45,084 school heads.

Tutors will include teachers, para-teachers, pre-service teachers, and other trained individuals, all of whom will receive proper training and fair compensation. Parents and guardians will also be engaged to reinforce lessons and provide support at home.

For 2026, DepEd is seeking ₱928.52 billion under the National Expenditure Program (NEP), with provisions to expand and strengthen ARAL and related initiatives.

The Speaker emphasized that the constitutional mandate to prioritize education spending remains central to Congress’ work.

“As lawmakers, we have consistently upheld education as a priority investment as mandated in the 1987 Constitution. Every peso spent on classrooms, textbooks, and supplemental learning support is an investment in the nation’s future. Through ARAL, we are not just helping our children catch up—we are building a Bagong Pilipinas where education is a treasured asset for every Filipino family,” he said.