Angara pushes work-ready pathways, system reforms as DepEd wraps up 2025

As 2025 draws to a close, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the Department of Education (DepEd) has laid key system reforms aimed at producing work-ready graduates and sustaining long-term improvements in basic education heading into 2026.

In a year-end wrap-up, Angara said DepEd’s efforts focused on improving school environments, tightening the alignment between curriculum and assessment, and strengthening senior high school pathways to better prepare learners for employment or higher education. These reforms, he said, are anchored on the DepEd’s Five-Point Reform Agenda.

“Kasama sa paalala sa atin ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos ang pagkakaroon ng education system na tunay na makatutulong sa mga kabataang Pilipino, isang sistemang maghahanda sa kanila sa susunod na yugto ng kanilang buhay—ang pagpasok sa mundo ng trabaho,” Angara said.

(Included in the reminders of President Bongbong Marcos is having an education system that truly helps the Filipino youth, a system that would prepare them for the next chapter in their lives – entering the workforce.)

With Congress’ ratification of the General Appropriations Bill on December 29, Angara said the DepEd is poised to sustain the momentum of these reforms in 2026.

From learning to employment

A centerpiece of DepEd’s 2025 reforms was the rollout of the Strengthened Senior High School (SHS) Program, which seeks to make the final years of basic education more responsive to labor market needs and clearer post-graduation pathways.

Under the revised framework, the SHS curriculum was streamlined into two main tracks: Academic and Technical-Professional. For learners under the Technical-Professional track, the Work Immersion Program was expanded from 80 hours to between 320 and 640 hours, giving students more meaningful, hands-on workplace exposure.

DepEd said it is working with regional directors and schools division superintendents to further refine the curriculum and scale up implementation in the coming school years.

Angara also committed to sustain the provision of free National Certification (NC) assessments in 2026 in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). In 2025, DepEd and TESDA supported more than 170,000 SHS learners under the Technical-Vocational-Livelihood (TVL) track.

Moving forward, DepEd will prioritize the full implementation of the Philippine Qualifications Framework and the Philippine Skills Framework to ensure smoother transitions from school to work.

Improving system efficiency

Beyond curriculum reforms, Angara said DepEd also focused on improving system efficiency to ensure faster and more effective delivery of programs for teachers and learners.

Under special provisions in the 2026 budget, the Department will have greater flexibility in implementing classroom construction programs, allowing stronger partnerships with local government units and private institutions. DepEd will also expand participation in its enhanced Adopt-a-School platform, opening classroom construction and repair efforts to more private partners and individual donors.

These measures are expected to support DepEd’s infrastructure targets, including the construction of 24,547 classrooms under the Basic Education Facilities Fund, the leasing of 1,700 classrooms, the repair of 11,886 classrooms, and the delivery of 105,000 new classrooms under the Public School Infrastructure Program.

DepEd is also ramping up investments in technology and artificial intelligence through the Education Center for AI Research (ECAIR), which Angara said will help guide evidence-based policymaking and system-wide reforms.

“Sa ilalim ng Bagong Pilipinas ng ating mahal na Pangulo, mas lalo nating pagtitibayin ang sistema ng edukasyon upang makalikha ng mas maraming oportunidad para sa ating mga kabataan,” Angara said, referring to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

(Under the Bagong Pilipinas of our beloved President, we will further strengthen the education system to create more opportunities for our youth.)

DepEd noted that these initiatives position the education sector to deliver more practical, resilient, and inclusive outcomes as it enters 2026. —KG, GMA Integrated News