Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Wednesday said the approval of the Project for Learning Upgrade Support and Decentralization (PLUS-D) marks a major shift toward empowering those closest to learners to make key decisions that directly impact education outcomes.

“Alam nating hindi kailangan na pare-pareho ang solusyon sa paglutas ng learning gap sa bawat silid-aralan. With PLUS-D, schools with the capacity and readiness can move faster, innovate more, and be held accountable for real results for learners. We need to trust those closest to the children,” Angara said.

PLUS-D will provide system-level interventions, including technical and operational support for a nationwide learning acceleration program for Kindergarten to Grade 6. It is intended to complement the ongoing Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program.

A key feature of the initiative is a grant program for regional offices and schools, allowing them to finance targeted interventions to improve learning outcomes, enhance teacher capacity, and support inclusive education. It also introduces a stronger performance-based accountability system, where schools that significantly improve outcomes may receive additional funding and recognition.

The project also aims to expand access to laptops for teachers, complementing the existing Computerization Program and further supporting DepEd’s push for digital transformation in basic education.

Implementation will begin in select regions, based on readiness indicators such as planning capacity, financial management, and school governance systems.

“This approval sends a clear message that education reform will no longer be centrally controlled and painfully slow,” Angara said. “Our mission is to let local leadership thrive, and let Filipino learners recover and rise.”

PLUS-D will channel resources and technical support directly to schools and regional offices to speed up learning recovery in the early grades and improve instruction in junior high school. The project combines nationwide learning interventions with targeted grants to more than 11,000 schools deemed ready for decentralized implementation.

Supported by the Department of Economy, Planning, and Development, the six-year project will be financed through a P34.79 billion (USD 600 million) World Bank loan and a P3.47 billion (USD 60 million) Philippine government counterpart. Around 21.2 million K-10 learners are expected to benefit.