The Municipality of Los Baños, Laguna, will officially launch the "Rizal Classrooms of the Future" (RCOF) and ERizal Tablets on 19 June 2026, in time for the celebration of Jose Rizal's 165th birthday.

The Municipal Government, the Department of Education (DepEd), and the Organizing Committee conducted the "Rizal Classrooms of the Future" training and "ERizal Tablets" and pre-launch event at the University of the Philippines Open University in Los Baños, Laguna, on Friday, 21 November.

The Rizal Classrooms of the Future is a flagship initiative that aims to enhance education in the Municipality of Los Baños by integrating educational technology and future-ready pedagogical practices. The training marks an important step ahead of the project’s official launch next year.

The training focused on equipping teachers, administrators, and coordinators with the knowledge and confidence needed to successfully implement new learning environments.

ERizal Tablets

One of the highlights of the launch is the “ERizal” tablet, mandated by Laguna Executive Order no. 17, series of 2010, issued by the Provincial Government of Laguna. The order created a committee to formulate and develop an implementation scheme for the eReader Rizal Tablet to enhance high school education and for other related purposes.

The project is headed by the current Mayor of Los Baños, Laguna, Neil Andrew Nocon. The provincial government envisioned classrooms where students can save digital books and digital tools instead of using traditional textbooks through the introduction of the “ERizal” tablets.

Naming the tablet after Jose Rizal symbolizes the value of education, innovation, and critical thinking.

A key aspect of the gadgets is that they are locally made. The initiative was inspired by the concept of Kindles introduced by former Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon, which aimed to provide every public school student in the Philippines access to accurate digital textbooks.

Proper Usage of AI

Opening with the question of whether teachers will be replaced by AI, Jenielyn Padernal, Global Director of Training and Implementation for Cypher Learning and NEO LMS, said she can assure that teachers who embrace technological change cannot be replaced by AI. “These remain neutral until we use them,” she added.

She emphasized that teachers still have the power to drive the use of AI, and that AI and other digital tools will not replace the essential role teachers play.

Components of Rizal Classroom

The project also aims to introduce a new classroom ecosystem named after key figures related to Rizal, consisting of: Paciano IT Backbone, Soledad Software Package, Narcisa Instructional Leadership, Trinidad AI Integration Hub, Teodora Alonzo Classrooms, and Francisco MOOE System.

"ARAL" Program

The ARAL Program stands for Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning, a flagship intervention program by the Department of Education (DepEd) of the Philippines. It was launched to address learning gaps and losses, especially those that worsened due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the shift to distance learning.

The program aims to address learning gaps in key literacy and numeracy skills by providing targeted support to learners performing below proficiency levels, particularly in the early grades. It also seeks to equip teachers and parents with effective tools and strategies for remediation while promoting equity by ensuring that all students, especially those most at risk, have access to the learning support they need.