DepEd deploys AI to guide P1B library hub rollout

The Department of Education (DepEd) is deploying an artificial intelligence (AI) system to allocate P1 billion worth of Library Hubs nationwide, a move officials say will ensure resources reach schools with the greatest need for reading support.

Developed by the Education Center for AI Research (ECAIR), DepEd’s in-house AI and innovation hub, the tool analyzes nationwide education and administrative data to determine which school communities require the most urgent literacy interventions.

The Library Hubs will be funded under the 2026 Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEFF).

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the initiative is central to the agency’s push for evidence-based policymaking.

“Data-driven policymaking is central to the education reforms we envision… ensuring that resources reach the schools and learners that need them the most,” Angara said.

The rollout directly responds to findings of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), which flagged persistent inequities in resource distribution and called for more targeted interventions to address the country’s widening literacy gaps.

According to DepEd, the AI algorithm identifies priority schools based on learning needs, projected usage demand, and equity indicators—replacing past allocation methods that officials described as “traditional and often arbitrary,” which have slowed improvement in learners’ reading performance.

Undersecretary for Learning Systems Strand Carmela Oracion emphasized the role of reading centers in strengthening literacy nationwide.

“By working with ECAIR to incorporate data into planning and prioritization, we can ensure that our investments better support learners in our schools,” she said.

ECAIR Managing Director and Chief AI and Data Officer Dr. Erika Legara said the program demonstrates how advanced analytics can sharpen public investment decisions.

“Education systems generate vast amounts of data, but the challenge is turning that data into actionable insights,” Legara noted, adding that the tool ensures “large-scale public investments will deliver the greatest learning impact possible.”

DepEd Library Hubs function as warehouse libraries that lend public schools bulk reading materials—typically for 25 to 30 days—to boost access to high-quality supplementary resources and improve functional literacy.

DepEd said ECAIR and the Bureau of Learning Resources (BLR) will continue refining the AI tool to guide future investments in supplementary instructional materials and maximize learning gains over the long term.