Confronting what officials described as a deep and urgent learning crisis, the Department of Education (DepEd) pressed for stronger global and ASEAN-wide cooperation at the Education World Forum, where the Philippines presented its reform efforts and warned that foundational learning deficits can no longer be addressed by isolated or short-term interventions.
In presentations before ministers and policymakers, the Philippine delegation discussed the government's 5-point reform strategy, emphasizing measures such as the expansion of the School-Based Feeding Program, home-delivered storybooks for early-grade learners, and the institutionalization of the ARAL recovery program.
But DepEd Undersecretary and Chief of Staff Fatima Lipp Panontongan said the problems confronting the sector remain systemic and long-term.
“Educational decline cannot be solved through isolated projects or short-term campaigns,” she told delegates, stressing the need to overhaul school systems and teacher support structures.
While international counterparts noted the Philippines’ education allocation—equivalent to 4% of GDP—experts at the forum pointed out that it remains below the 6% benchmark recommended by UNESCO for developing economies.
DepEd reported that the Philippines is leading ongoing work on the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Foundational Learning, which aims to commit Southeast Asian states to coordinated action on early-grade literacy and numeracy.
The delegation also discussed the forthcoming ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2026–2030, including the ASEAN Academic Recovery and Catch-up Program, a regional mechanism designed to address widespread learning losses that have hit low-income learners the hardest.
“Learning recovery is now a shared regional responsibility,” Panontongan said, adding that the Philippines intends to push for the regional adoption of some interventions already being piloted locally.
The London forum, which gathers education ministers from more than 100 countries annually, noted that many school systems continue to face declining proficiency rates and widening inequalities despite increased education spending worldwide.
Panontongan said reversing these trends demands more than political commitments.
"The education challenges confronting our generation are complex, but they are not irreversible,” she said. “Reform requires political will, sustained investment, and collective action.”
Established in 2002, the Education World Forum serves as the primary venue for governments to assess global learning trends, exchange evidence-based solutions, and coordinate policy responses amid mounting pressure to improve foundational learning results.
