Manila: The Department of Education (DepEd) pushed forward reforms that improved school environments and advanced system-level changes under Secretary Sonny Angara's leadership-strengthening senior high school tracks, aligning curriculum and assessment more closely, and expanding work-readiness initiatives for learners nationwide. Alongside governance and infrastructure upgrades, these reforms reinforced the agency's direction toward producing graduates equipped with practical skills, clearer pathways to employment or higher education, and an education system designed to sustain these outcomes.
According to Philippines News Agency, Angara emphasized the importance of preparing Filipino youth for the next stage of their lives, particularly entering the workforce. This was echoed in a statement he made, highlighting the reminders from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on the significance of an education system that genuinely aids young Filipinos. With the recent ratification of the General Appropriations Bill by Congress on December 29, Angara expressed optimism in sustaining the momentum for delivering quality education in the coming year.
DepEd launched the Strengthened Senior High School (SHS) Program to make the latter years of basic education more responsive and relevant to the learners' transition from education to employment. The reform includes streamlining the curriculum, offering two clear pathways-the Academic track and the Technical-Professional track. Additionally, the Work Immersion Program for technical-professional learners has been expanded from 80 hours to 320 to 640 hours, ensuring more meaningful and hands-on workplace experience.
For the upcoming year, Angara mentioned that DepEd, in coordination with regional directors and schools division superintendents, is exploring ways to enhance the current curriculum and expand the initiative on a broader scale. Furthermore, DepEd plans to sustain free National Certification (NC) assessments in 2026 in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). In 2025, these agencies supported over 170,000 SHS-Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) learners.
Moving forward, Angara stated that DepEd will focus on the effective implementation of the Philippine Qualifications Framework and the Philippine Skills Framework. This involves collaboration with education and other relevant government agencies to ensure smoother transitions from education to employment for more Filipinos.
Angara also stressed the need to enhance the efficiency of the education system, ensuring the smooth implementation of major programs that directly benefit both teachers and learners. Under the special provisions of next year's budget, classroom program rollouts will become more flexible, allowing local government units and private institutions to partner with the department in delivering resilient and modern school facilities.
Furthermore, Angara assured that more private partners-and even individual donors-can participate in building classrooms through the newly enhanced Adopt-a-School platform. These initiatives are crucial for achieving the department's targets: constructing 24,547 classrooms under the Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEFF), leasing 1,700 classrooms, repairing 11,886 classrooms, and delivering 105,000 new classrooms under the PSIP initiative.
DepEd will also rely on its significant investments in technology and artificial intelligence, notably through the launch of the Education Center for AI Research (ECAIR), which serves as the Department's hub for evidence-based policies and initiatives. Angara reiterated the commitment to further strengthen the education system under the New Philippines initiative to create more opportunities for the youth.
