EDUCATION Secretary Sonny Angara yesterday said digital programs, including those in Artificial Intelligence and data science, being undertaken by the Department will future-proof Filipino learners.
Angara said these initiatives are meant to address the low ranking of the country – 74th out of 177 countries in the Global Education Futures Readiness Index (GEFRI) – earning a score of 56.32 out of 100.
He said this places the Philippines in the category of “emerging and partial readiness,” signaling ongoing structural challenges in governance, innovation, infrastructure, and access to quality education.
He said the initiatives are meant to cater to the future demands of Filipino learners.
“Pinapaganda natin ang sistema para maging mas maayos, mas makabago, at mas kapaki-pakinabang sa mga guro, magulang, at bata. Hindi ito madali, pero kailangang simulan at sabay-sabay nating gawin (We are upgrading the system to ensure that it is responsive, accessible and of use to our teachers, parents and learners. This is not easy, but we have to start somewhere),” he said.
Among these initiatives, Angara said, is the establishment of the Education Center for Artificial Intelligence Research (ECAIR), a first-of-its-kind initiative in the Philippine education sector, to apply AI and data science in solving persistent issues in teaching, planning, and school management.
Also included are SIGLA, a mobile app for automating growth monitoring of learners; TALINO, a geospatial mapping tool to support private sector engagement through the Adopt-a-School Program; and DUNONG, a dashboard that processes school leadership exam data to support succession planning.
He said a chatbot system called SALIKSeek is also being refined to speed up access to internal data for DepEd decision-makers.
Other tools like SABAY, Angara said, to support early cognitive risk screening, and LIGTAS, a geohazard tracking system for schools, are undergoing prototyping and controlled data development.
With the AI tools in various stages of development, the DepEd chief emphasized that the projects are governed by an AI Governance Framework rooted in international standards, ensuring responsible, ethical, and transparent use of emerging technologies.
In basic education governance, he said the department is also launching Project Bukas, an open data initiative that covers school-level enrollment, resource inventory, and learning outcomes.
He said the DepEd is also investing heavily in digital infrastructure.
“This includes PSIP Connect, a major initiative to deliver devices, solar energy, and satellite internet to underserved schools, and the Bayanihan SIM Program, which supports teachers and learners in connectivity-challenged areas,” Angara said, adding the need to prepare Filipino learners for the fast-changing world.
To align learning with the demands of the workforce, Angara said the DepEd has also restructured the Senior High School curriculum in coordination with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Commission on Higher Education and the Department of Labor and Employment to ensure that they have the skills needed to land a job if they do not want to pursue college education.
“Technical-Vocational Education and Training qualifications are now being embedded into SHS programs. At the same time, reforms in government hiring policies now recognize SHS graduates as eligible for first-level civil service positions, expanding employment pathways for youth,” the DepEd chief added.
