DepEd intensifies push for learning recovery

The Department of Education (DepEd) is intensifying its push for learning recovery as Education Secretary Sonny Angara inspected the rollout of the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) and the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) initiative in two Las Piñas public schools.

On Friday, Angara visited Moonwalk Elementary School and Talon Elementary School, both recognized for significant gains in literacy and strong delivery of feeding services. 

The visit forms part of DepEd’s nationwide monitoring effort under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to accelerate reading recovery and strengthen support for vulnerable learners.

During the visit, Angara assisted in distributing hot meals, observed ARAL sessions, and held dialogues with teachers to gather ground-level insights on interventions that can be scaled across divisions.

Moonwalk ES, cited as the division’s second-best SBFP implementer, has 789 feeding beneficiaries this school year and launched ARAL tutorials last September, where it demonstrated strong program innovation through a reading initiative integrated into feeding sessions.

With a 1:11 tutor-learner ratio, teachers said feeding and tutorial pairing helped improve attendance and reading stamina for the most vulnerable learners.

Talon ES, ranked first in the Las Piñas Schools Division Office in the National Achievement Test, posted strong ARAL outcomes. 

The school’s ARAL cohort fell from an initial 575 learners at the beginning of the school year to 233 after the middle of the school year assessment, meaning 342 learners—or about 71 percent—exited the program after reaching grade-level reading expectations.

Talon’s gains were credited to structured morning and midday ARAL sessions, consistent progress monitoring, and dedicated learning spaces that support uninterrupted literacy work.

Angara said these improvements will be supported and scaled under the proposed 2026 budget.

The Senate-approved General Appropriations Bill raises the School MOOE to P60.89 billion, up from P49.76 billion in the 2025 GAA, to bolster day-to-day school operations and provide localized interventions.

The SBFP, on the other hand, is set at P28.66 billion, enough to make kindergarten and Grade 1 feeding universal for the first time. 

Feeding duration will also extend to 200 days, while targeted feeding will support junior high school and senior high school severely wasted and wasted learners and adolescent pregnant learners.

The expanded SBFP in the 2026 budget boosts learner nutrition while strengthening local agriculture.

Milk is now sourced from local farmers, and food products come from DOST-FNRI–certified suppliers, ensuring demand from homegrown producers and cooperatives.

Angara also renewed his call to amend the Masustansyang Pagkain para sa Batang Pilipino Act (RA 11037) to expand beneficiary coverage and feeding days, establish Central Kitchens, and secure steady supplies.

These program directions align with the Tatak Pinoy Law (RA 11981), which raises the value of Philippine products by expanding and upgrading domestic industries. 

Angara said that this direction stands on the foundation of the Agriculture and Fisheries Modernization Act (RA 8435) authored by his father, the late Senator Ed Angara, which modernized local food systems and strengthened the producers now powering programs like the SBFP.

ARAL expansion will be backed by strengthened allocations for learning resources, tutor training and compensation, and monitoring.

Angara also stressed that LGU collaboration is vital to sustain gains, pointing to the updated Joint Circular on the Special Education Fund (SEF) that permits LGU support for early-grade literacy, feeding, and academic recovery interventions.

With a positive outlook heading to 2026, Angara said that the agency will continue to assess program implementation, ensure accurate ground-level data informs policy, and make sure more schools receive the targeted support needed to sustain improvements in attendance, nutrition, and foundational skills. — VBL, GMA Integrated News