President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Friday, 9 January, led the launch of the Accelerating Governance and Adaptive Pedagogy through Artificial Intelligence (Project AGAP.AI), a flagship initiative aimed at guiding and upskilling teachers and students on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in basic education.

The government program places education stakeholders at the center of the country’s AI transition, providing clear frameworks, training, and safeguards to ensure that artificial intelligence strengthens teaching, school governance, and learning outcomes amid rapid technological change. Project AGAP.AI will be implemented in phases starting in 2026.

“In our language, Agapay means to support or to bridge. This is what we are trying to do today, standing next to our people and bridging the gap between technology and education,” President Marcos said during the national kick-off of the DepEd Artificial Intelligence Program at Quezon City Science High School.

Angara said Project AGAP.AI is anchored on a national framework aligned with the Bagong Pilipinas agenda and the Quality Basic Education Development Plan.

“Isang malinaw na framework, na nakaangkla sa Bagong Pilipinas at sa Quality Basic Education Development Plan. Para palakasin ang pagtuturo, pagandahin ang pamamahala, at maghatid ng mas mahusay na resulta sa buong education system,” Angara said.

A core feature of Project AGAP.AI is large-scale capacity-building. Throughout 2026, the Department of Education (DepEd) will roll out a nationwide AI training program branded as AI Ready ASEAN Philippines, targeting up to 1.5 million participants nationwide, including 1.05 million learners, 300,000 teachers, and 150,000 parents.

The training is being implemented with local partners such as Limitless Lab Organization, SmartCitiesPH, Inc., Break the Fake Movement, CGPH Incorporated, and ASEAN Youth Organization. DepEd said the initiative is funded by the ASEAN Foundation and powered by Google.org.

The training introduces AI in plain language, covering fundamentals, practical classroom applications, ethics and data privacy, and how to address risks such as misinformation.

During the launch, DepEd also signed a memorandum of agreement with the ASEAN Foundation to formalize its partnership in promoting responsible and inclusive AI literacy nationwide.

To establish clear safeguards, DepEd is set to release its Foundational Guidelines on the Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Basic Education, outlining standards on responsible use, learner protection, inclusivity, and ethical deployment of AI tools in schools.

Curriculum reforms are also underway, with plans to integrate AI concepts into basic education to strengthen learners’ AI literacy and computational thinking. AI-focused in-service training modules for teachers are scheduled for rollout by the second quarter of 2026.

DepEd said the initiative is being supported by both international and local partners, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology’s Responsible AI for Social Empowerment & Education and the Day of AI Initiative, particularly in curriculum integration and teacher training.

At the system level, DepEd will pilot AI-powered tools in 2026 to support teaching, assessment, and school management, developed by the Education Center for AI Research, to strengthen data-driven decision-making across the education system. Existing AI-powered platforms will also be expanded, subject to national standards on reliability, fairness, and data privacy.

Angara said Project AGAP.AI is free as it is funded through donations from the ASEAN Foundation, noting that more than 1.5 million teachers, learners, and parents are expected to benefit.

"Not only the teachers, not only the students, even the parents will be trained," he said.

The DepEd chief stressed, however, that AI should serve only as a tool and not as a replacement for hard work.

"There are teachers who catch students using AI, using it for cheating. So, how are we going to address these concerns of teachers? AI should not be a replacement for hard work, for actual studying, for actual reading," Angara said.

He added that ethical use is a core component of the training.

"We need to have rules not because we're going to use it to replace traditional thinking. What are the components of this AI that will be hosted in the Philippines? Because there will be security implications if it's hosted in other countries. Well, that's the ideal, that we can host the sovereign AI here. And our data centers, the sensitive data should be hosted here in our country," Angara said.

"That's the idea. But there are concerns about power. If the power is low, we might have difficulty. It will be released in the whole country because it's a national curriculum. And everyone will benefit. How will our nationalized experts be able to join? We'll really need connectivity. AI is useless for them if they don't have connectivity," he added.

Grade 12 student Hannah Ysabelle Lualhati of Quezon City Science High School said AI plays a significant role in her academic work, particularly in research.

"AI is very important for us as a student because in our research, we use it to lessen the load and to make our trials more accurate. So, especially now that it can be implemented, it will really help us as students," she said.

"AI is just a tool, it's not a substitute. So, it really depends on the student. They should really know how to use it wisely. So, I hope schools will really emphasize it," she added.