The Department of Education (DepEd) reported Tuesday a significant 289 percent increase in its procurement of textbooks for public schools over the past year, marking a key part of immediate reforms aimed at improving the quality of education.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara stated that the agency has passed and procured 105 textbook titles to date and this figure is 289 percent higher than the total procurement output of the previous 10 years combined.

From 2012 to 2023, the agency procured only 27 titles, with only Grades 5 and 6 receiving complete sets of textbooks, according to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).

“The materials held by teachers and learners should not be incomplete,” Angara said. “If we want to elevate the quality of learning, there must be complete, right, and timely materials coming in to schools.”