The Department of Education (DepEd) said it has recorded measurable improvements in reading outcomes under the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, citing assessment data that show significant reductions in the number of struggling readers across grade levels, driven by increased education funding.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the proposed P8.93-billion allocation marks the first time the ARAL Program will be fully funded since it was institutionalized into law, allowing the program to scale up proven strategies to help learners catch up in reading and mathematics.

“Dito po sa ARAL Program, unprecedented din po iyong spending. Ito iyong para humabol tayo dahil lumalabas na nahuli na ang ating mga bata sa reading and math,” Angara said during Malacañang’s press briefing on Tuesday.

Based on DepEd’s mid-school year assessments, with a 96 percent submission rate as of January 5, 2026, the proportion of struggling readers declined compared with the beginning of the school year.

Among Grades 3 to 6, reading readiness improved by an average of five points, while Grades 7 to 10 recorded gains of up to six to nine points. This translates to 3.42 million learners in Grades 3–6 and 1.72 million learners in Grades 7–10 moving closer to grade-level reading proficiency.

Behind the figures are learners such as Rachel, a Grade 7 student from Iriga City. At the start of the school year, Rachel often hesitated to read aloud.

After joining the ARAL Program, Rachel now reads better in both Filipino and English and has gained confidence in class.

“Salamat kasi may natutunan ako sa pagbabasa, napakalaking tulong po ito sa akin,” Rachel said, thanking her tutor and teacher for the support she received.

DepEd said the gains were driven by structured remediation, focused tutorial sessions, and regular learner monitoring under the ARAL Program—interventions that will be expanded and standardized with full funding in 2026.

With full funding next year, DepEd plans to engage more than 440,000 tutors nationwide, including both teaching and non-teaching personnel.

Angara said the expanded budget would allow wider participation of external and volunteer tutors, reducing reliance on teacher overtime and easing classroom workload pressures.

DepEd estimates that ARAL coverage will expand to around 6.7 million learners in school year 2026–2027, nearly double the roughly three million learners reached in 2025.

The department added that funding will also support tutor training aligned with literacy standards, improved learning materials, and strengthened monitoring and evaluation systems, including learner tracking through the Learner Information System.