For learners who often go unnoticed in broad national data, help may soon be closer to home as the Department of Education (DepEd) pushes for education mapping at the barangay level, in a move aimed at identifying learning gaps more precisely and directing support to communities that need it most.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the initiative is part of DepEd’s broader push to strengthen data-driven reforms in basic education, shifting away from reliance on national or regional averages and toward more localized information that reflects the real situation of learners on the ground.

This was after a presentation by University of the Philippines BS Economics student Timothy Hormigos, who developed a more detailed mapping of educational attainment using Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) data. His study showed that breaking down information to the barangay level reveals significant differences even within cities and municipalities, allowing for more targeted interventions.

Angara directed DepEd officials to study the model and explore how it can be integrated into the department’s planning systems, particularly in improving the allocation of classrooms, teachers, and learning resources.

“We cannot guess the problem; we need to see it, down to the barangay level,” Angara said.

“And as our data and monitoring become more granular, we also become more honest and transparent to the public—about what we are doing and what still needs to be done.”

He said the initiative is aligned with Project BUKAS and other DepEd efforts to strengthen data transparency, with the aim of making information more accessible and useful for planning and decision-making.

Hormigos’ mapping, based on PSA census data, examined educational attainment among individuals aged 25 and above in 2020, covering outcomes from pre-kindergarten to K to 12. The study highlighted disparities between urban centers and geographically isolated areas, as well as a correlation between road access and higher levels of educational attainment.

Angara said the barangay-level approach could help identify underserved communities more clearly and guide decisions on where to build classrooms, deploy teachers, and expand education programs, particularly at the secondary level.

To support implementation, he directed the Education Futures Office (EFO) and the Information and Communications Technology Service (ICTS) to work with Hormigos in developing more user-friendly geospatial tools using existing DepEd datasets.

The move forms part of DepEd’s broader shift toward evidence-based planning, aiming to move beyond broad regional figures and toward a more precise, community-level understanding of educational needs.

Once fully implemented, the initiative is expected to reshape how education programs are designed and delivered, enabling more focused interventions at the barangay level and improving how resources are allocated to learners who need them most.