President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Friday signed into law a measure aimed at accelerating learning recovery and improving the quality of education in the country. Republic Act 12028, or the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program Act, was signed during a ceremony at Malacañang.

The ARAL Law was among the priority measures identified by the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council which is chaired by Marcos. It seeks to create a free national learning intervention program designed to help struggling learners catch up with the required standards for their grade levels.

In his speech, Marcos stressed the importance of RA 12028 in addressing the learning gaps of students. Citing the 2018 Program for International Student Assessment, he lamented that 75 percent of Filipino learners “fell below the minimum proficiency levels in reading, mathematics and science.”

“This disheartening trend remains alarmingly the same, highlighting the urgency of the learning crisis we confront today. It is imperative that we acknowledge this massive challenge, determine the necessary steps, and prioritize implementing learning interventions,” Marcos said.

The President noted that the ARAL Law will enable the government to tackle the broader challenges in mastering essential competencies and recovering from learning loss through structured tutorial sessions.