A year after Secretary Sonny Angara took the helm of the Department of Education, the agency is showing signs of progress in advancing President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.’s education priorities, including initiatives outlined in his fourth State of the Nation Address.

"From the beginning, our intention is to listen clearly, fix what needs fixing, and build what is lacking. This is a result of listening to teachers, parents, and students within the schools themselves," Angara said.

One of the department’s key milestones is the expansion of the School-Based Feeding Program, which now includes all public kindergarten learners starting this school year.

To boost child nutrition and health monitoring, DepEd will pilot Project SIGLA, a system that automates nutrition tracking. Construction is also underway for 328 new Child Development Centers in the country’s poorest municipalities.

DepEd has also made big changes in supporting teachers. Out of more than 21,000 new teaching positions funded in 2024, 97 percent have already been filled. The same goes for administrative staff, with 99 percent of 5,000 new positions already taken.

New ranks (Teacher IV to VII) were added to improve teacher career paths while more than 2,100 school heads are set to be reclassified into school principal positions, moving closer to the goal of one principal for every school.

DepEd also doubled the teaching supplies allowance to P10,000 and issued the first-ever medical allowance for teachers. Teachers in private schools will now receive a P24,000 salary subsidy, a P6,000 increase.

Paperwork for public school teachers has also been reduced by more than half, making daily tasks simpler and faster.

The agency is also addressing classroom shortages, working with the private sector to build 105,000 classrooms to reduce the national backlog. By August, new modular classrooms will be designed for disaster-hit areas.

DepEd is also collaborating with the Department of Information and Communications Technology, Department of Energy, and National Electrification Administration to provide better connectivity and electricity supply to last mile schools. PSIP Connect, a PPP project, is also lined up to bring digital devices, solar power, and internet to remote schools.

The updated K to 10 curriculum now puts more focus on reading, writing, and basic math. The strengthened Senior High School curriculum, now being piloted to 900 schools nationwide, has a stronger connection to essential academic and tech-voc skills.

Major gains in foundational literacy were also observed with the number of low emerging readers dropping through the Literacy Remediation Program and Bawat Bata Bumabasa Program implemented during the summer break.

Meanwhile, the Free TESDA Assessment Program now covers more learners, including those in ALS and technical-vocational programs. SHS graduates are now recognized by the Civil Service Commission as qualified for entry-level government jobs.

From 451 days, textbook process takes only 60 days for procurement, and 110 days for printing and delivery, under Angara’s watch. A digital registry for suppliers is also in place to improve transparency.

For partners, DepEd’s Adopt-A-School Program now has a dedicated website and a School Finder to connect donors directly with schools in need. The Department will also launch Project Bukas in August to give the public access to key DepEd data.

To support innovation, the Education Center for AI Research, or ECAIR, has been established. It will lead DepEd’s work in using digital and AI tools for learning. DepEd is also building digital tools such as Project LIGTAS for mapping school risks, and Project TALINO to find schools with urgent needs.

“Marami pa tayong kailangang ayusin, marami pa tayong kailangang abutin. Pero habang pinagkakatiwalaan tayo ng taumbayan, hindi tayo titigil sa paglilingkod, para sa bawat guro, bawat magulang, at bawat batang nangangarap," Angara said, adding that while much has been done, the work is far from over. NEIL ALCOBER