DepEd to revise curriculum to include responsible AI use — Angara

To better prepare Filipino learners and educators for the fast-evolving digital landscape, Education Secretary Sonny Angara has announced that the agency is set to revise the national curriculum to include training on artificial intelligence use.

“Soon, babaguhin na rin natin 'yung ating curriculum para matutong gumamit ng A.I. ang mga bata at matutong gumamit ng A.I. 'yung mga guro natin. 'Yan ang pagbabagong ina-anticipate natin sa darating na mga taon,” said Angara.

(Soon, we will revise the curriculum so that students and teachers alike can learn how to use A.I. This is a change we anticipate in the coming years.)

This move comes amid growing use of AI tools by students — some in secret — and educators alike.

In a report by Vonne Aquino on Unang Balita, a college sophomore referred to as “John” admitted to discreetly using AI to complete assignments.

“Nagse-search po ako ng topic tapos, doon po is kinukuha ko po 'yung text (I search for a topic and then copy the text from there.),” he said.

To avoid detection, he mixes the AI-generated content with his own ideas.

“Hinahaluan ko ng konting sariling opinion ko po (I add a bit of my own opinion to it),” he added.

On the other hand, educators, like Daisy Marasigan, a senior high school teacher in Pagbilao, Quezon, are using AI more openly and proactively.

“I think it’s high time — especially in the 21st century — na kailangan na nating i-embrace ang A.I., but of course there is caution,” she said.

(I think it’s high time — especially in the 21st century — that we embrace A.I., but of course with caution.)

She has even posted tutorials on social media about using AI to create lesson plans.

Despite these innovations, experts are warning about the risks of overreliance. 

A recent MIT study suggests that using AI to write essays may contribute to “cognitive debt” — a reduced effort to think critically — potentially weakening a student’s ability to learn independently. The findings, however, are not yet peer-reviewed and remain inconclusive.

Meanwhile, Dr. Jhennie Villar, dean and program chairperson at a local university, believes AI has already changed Philippine education — but with limits.

“Karaniwan, ginagamit ito bilang gabay pero hindi bilang sagot sa kabuuan kasi kailangan pa rin natin ng critical thinking, kailangan pa rin natin na mag-aral… (Usually, it’s used as a guide, not as the entire answer, because we still need critical thinking — we still need to study),” she said.

She said in their university, AI-generated content is limited to 15% of undergraduate theses and research papers. Detection tools are also in place to prevent misuse.

Meanwhile, teacher's group Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) acknowledged that cellphones and tablets are already part of daily classroom realities, especially in public schools where traditional learning materials are lacking.

ACT National Capital Region president Ruby Bernardo explained that teachers and students alike turn to digital devices to access supplemental learning content such as YouTube videos and online modules.

AI tools, now increasingly accessible to both students and teachers, can help in tasks like translation and cultural research, according to Bernardo.

She, however, noted the challenge lies in guiding students on how to use them responsibly. —Sherylin Untalan/AOL, GMA Integrated News