SONA 2025: Marcos admits 'reality' of PH education woes, vows reforms

President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. on Monday vowed aggressive actions to address the learning crisis confronting the Philippine education sector, seeking to create a lasting impact for Filipino students, teachers, and families.

During his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA), Marcos acknowledged issues confronting Filipino learners today, including widespread learning poverty, high dropout rates, and persistent gaps in reading, math, and science proficiency.

"Malinaw sa atin ang tumambad na realidad tungkol sa ating mga kabataan ngayon—ang kakulangan sa kaalaman at kakayahan, lalo na sa matematika, sa agham, sa pagbabasa, at sa wastong pag-unawa," the President said.

(The reality that has emerged regarding our youth today is clear: the lack of knowledge and skills, especially in math, science, reading, and comprehension.)

Expanded support

Highlighting his administration's ongoing efforts to eradicate the learning crisis, Marcos touted the rollout of the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program for structured interventions in foundational skills. 

The President also stressed the conduct of summer tutorials and remedial classes, which will be expanded further.

Based on the 2022 results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), the Philippines ranked sixth lowest among the 81 countries and economies that participated in the study, with Filipino learners continuing to lag behind in reading, math, and science. Filipino students ranked second to the last when it comes to creative thinking.

READ | Where is PH now in terms of learning recovery?

Earlier this month, nongovernment group Philippine Business for Education (PBEd) sounded the alarm on the worsening state of Philippine education, calling for urgent decentralization and localized reform delivery to address what it called as a "generational crisis" in learning and workforce readiness.

The President assured that education remains the most urgent priority of his administration, even more than infrastructure spending.

"Sa lahat ng mga pinahahalagahan ng administrasyon, ito pa rin ang nasa rurok (Of all the priorities of this Administration, this remains at the very top)," he stressed.

Classroom shortage

To address infrastructure gaps in education, Marcos committed to construct 40,000 classrooms before the end of his term in partnership with the private sector. 

He urged Congress to allocate sufficient funding to meet the growing demand, even as he reported that 22,000 classrooms have been built over the last three years.

"Hindi na dapat nabibitin ang oras nila sa klase dahil sa kakulangan sa classroom (Students should no longer lose class hours due to lack of classrooms)," he said.

Marcos also underscored the importance of early childhood education, announcing the construction of over 300 Barangay Child Development and Bulilit Centers this year, particularly in underserved communities.

Tech, nutrition, mental health

The President reported that laptops are being distributed to public school teachers, assuring that these are being procured with transparency. 

Smart TVs, free WiFi, and Bayanihan SIM cards with free load, Marcos said, are being rolled out to equip learners with digital tools.

As for supporting the well-being of Filipino learners, Marcos ordered the hiring of more school counselors to address bullying, depression, and other psychosocial issues.

The administration will also expand feeding programs, with an additional ?1 billion allocated next year. In 2024, DSWD and DepEd programs served over 3.5 million learners.

Praising them as the "heart" of the education system, Marcos promised to assist teachers by reducing their administrative workload, digitizing paperwork, and rewarding those who improve student performance—not just those who pass the most number of pupils.

He also announced that public school teachers will receive compensation for overtime and teaching overloads—a long-standing clamor of teacher groups. Over 60,000 new teaching positions have been created since the start of the Marcos administration.

Senior High School reforms

The President outlined reforms in Senior High School (SHS), including the integration of of Technical-Vocational (TechVoc) programs of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), that have allowed students to graduate with National Certificates (NC II or III) in fields like bookkeeping, agribusiness, and graphic design.

He also highlighted the expansion of free tertiary education and government scholarships, with over 2 million students now enrolled tuition-free in state universities and colleges. Since 2022, some 260,000 more students have benefited from subsidy programs.

Marcos said children of 4Ps (Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program) families will receive college admissions support and priority over the next three years.

"Lahat ng pamilyang Pilipino, dapat may isang anak man lang na makapagtapos ng kolehiyo o TESDA (Every Filipino family should have at least one child who finishes college or TESDA training)," Marcos said.

Global recognition

The President also took pride in the growing international recognition of Philippine higher education institutions. From just 22 in 2022, 114 colleges and universities—including 68 public ones—are now globally ranked.

As an incentive for academic excellence, Marcos announced the launch of a Presidential Merit Scholarship for students graduating with highest honors in high school.

Marcos asserted that education reform is not just an economic necessity—it is a moral imperative.

"Kung tayo ay nagpupundar ng malaki para sa impraestraktura, mas malaki pa ang pinupundar natin para sa ating mamamayan," he said.

(If we are investing heavily in infrastructure, we are investing even more in our people.)

"Ito ang pangunahing polisiya natin hanggang matapos ang administrasyong ito," he added. 

(This will remain our foremost policy until the end of this administration.) 

DepEd chief satisfied

Following the President's SONA, Education Secretary Sonny Angara lauded Marcos for underscoring the need to prioritize and strengthen the education sector.

"Nakakatuwa ang pagbigay ng kakaibang atensyon sa isyung pang-edukasyon–sa kaginhawaan ng ating mga guro at estudyante," Angara said.

(It's encouraging that the President gave distinct attention to education and to the welfare of our teachers and students.)

The Education chief said the proposed reforms and support measures, including the President's new college scholarship program, would open up more opportunities for underprivileged families.

Angara said he was pleased with the administration's continued push to improve public school facilities, support teachers, and expand learning access for all.

"I didn't think the President could top last year's SONA. But somehow, he has. Simpleng lenguahe at simpleng mensahe na tutok sa pangangailangan ng karaniwang Pilipino (Simple language and a simple message focused on the needs of the ordinary Filipino)," he added.

Angara added, "Paniguradong marami ang maiaangat sa kahirapan ng bagong scholarship program ng Pangulo sa kolehiyo (Surely many will be able to rise above poverty through the President's new scholarship program for college students)." — VDV, GMA Integrated News