The Department of Education (DepEd) underscored the need for long-term, structural reforms in basic education as regional officials from across the country gathered in Palawan for the nationwide Management Committee (MANCOM) Meeting.

In a statement issued Monday, November 17, DepEd said the three-day event used MIMAROPA’s post-disaster conditions as a working case to strengthen learning continuity, system integrity, and school readiness in disaster-prone areas.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said President Marcos has directed the agency to address not only immediate problems but also the root causes of recurring disruptions in the education system.

“Ang bilin ng Pangulong Bongbong Marcos Jr., tungkulin natin ay hindi lang tumugon sa problema (President Bongbong Marcos Jr.’s directive is that our duty is not only to respond to the problem),” said Angara, who accompanied the President during post-disaster rehabilitation efforts in Negros Occidental over the weekend.

“Ang tungkulin natin ay ayusin ang ugat ng problema para hindi na ito maulit sa susunod na henerasyon (Our duty is to fix the root of the problem so that it will not be repeated in the next generation),” he added.

DepEd reported that recent typhoons have severely disrupted classes nationwide, exposing long-standing vulnerabilities in school infrastructure.

In Palawan alone, local divisions confirmed 781 damaged classrooms due to Typhoon Tino, with repair work still ongoing. Many schools continue shifting to modular and digital Alternative Delivery Modes (ADMs) as power supply and connectivity remain unstable in several island municipalities.

The agency said these challenges highlight the urgency of resilient school construction, stronger ADM systems, and funding strategies that reflect recurring risks, especially in provinces frequently hit by severe weather.

Regional directors also presented updates on typhoon-related classroom damage and recovery efforts in Regions II, CAR, IV-A, V, NIR, and VII as DepEd discussed nationwide strategies for disaster-resilient education delivery.

National reforms were also tackled, including updates on the Strengthened Senior High School (SSHS) Program.

Initial results from the first-quarter rapid assessment were “generally positive,” DepEd said. Field piloting and finalization of the SSHS Monitoring Tool (SSHSMT) are ongoing.

Given MIMAROPA’s labor market—largely dependent on agriculture, fisheries, and ecotourism—DepEd highlighted the need to align SHS course offerings with actual regional labor demands and industry roadmaps to ensure relevance and employability of graduates.

A major part of the MANCOM discussions focused on internal governance and teacher qualification integrity.

DepEd announced that it has finalized new guidelines establishing a national registry of recognized teacher education programs, which will allow the department to verify credentials submitted for hiring and promotion, issue advisories to regional and division offices, coordinate with oversight agencies, and prevent the acceptance of unaccredited programs.

This initiative, implemented with CHED, the Teacher Education Council (TEC), the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC), and EDCOM II, aims to curb “diploma mill” operations and strengthen credibility in teacher recruitment and promotion.

DepEd also clarified that investigations into the alleged “items-for-sale” activities remain ongoing. The department said preventive measures are in place, with additional safeguards being introduced to protect appointment and promotion processes.

Before the MANCOM meeting, Secretary Angara met with Palawan Governor Amy Alvarez and visited Palawan National School, the largest public school in Region IV-B, which serves about 10,000 students under the Puerto Princesa City Schools Division Office.

DepEd said reforms and insights gathered from MIMAROPA will feed into broader national policies aimed at strengthening learning recovery, ensuring transparent governance, modernizing SHS alignment, and professionalizing the education workforce.

Outputs from the MANCOM will help shape upcoming adjustments related to resilient infrastructure development, early-grade literacy, workforce competencies, and expanded career progression.