DepEd secures all 105 textbook titles in 2026 target

The Department of Education (DepEd) said it has completed the procurement of all 105 textbook titles targeted for public elementary and secondary schools this year, marking a major turnaround from years of delays in acquiring learning resources.

The milestone covers textbook requirements for the successive phases of curriculum implementation, including Grades 6, 9 and 10, whose learning resources are being procured in 2026.

DepEd said the 105 titles represent nearly four times the number of titles procured over the previous decade combined.

The development also addresses long-standing procurement bottlenecks identified by the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), which found that DepEd had procured only 27 of 88 required textbook titles from 2014 to 2023.

“For 10 years, our public school system was trapped in a cycle where procuring a single textbook title took up to three years, leaving millions of learners and teachers without the fundamental tools they needed,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.

“When 27 titles in a decade is your baseline, delivering 105 titles in a single year isn’t just an administrative achievement; it is a fundamental restoration of service to our learners,” he added.

Angara said DepEd had removed unnecessary bottlenecks while imposing tighter timelines and quality-control measures.

“We dismantled unnecessary bottlenecks, strictly enforced timeline discipline, and proved that transparency, speed, and quality control can go hand-in-hand to ensure our schools receive complete, high-quality learning resources without delay,” he said.

From 27 to 105

DepEd said progress in textbook procurement accelerated following policy changes.

Completion rose from 31% during the 2014-2023 period to 57% across 2024 and 2025, before reaching 100% this year.

The department attributed the faster procurement process to DepEd Order No. 008, series of 2025, which introduced stricter timelines, blind content evaluations and the removal of redundant review stages.

Under the updated guidelines, initial technical checks must be completed within five days, while content evaluation is limited to a 90-calendar-day period.

Price considerations are also separated from material quality scoring, according to DepEd.

Once a textbook passes the required quality-assurance stages, it proceeds directly to procurement without further text modifications, which the department said helps prevent the prolonged approval cycles that previously delayed the delivery of learning resources.

SHS textbooks still undergoing procurement

DepEd clarified that the procurement of K–12 textbooks and teachers’ manuals for Senior High School (SHS) Core Subjects has completed the bid-opening stage, with bidders for all lots.

The bids are now undergoing detailed evaluation, meaning the procurement process and contract awards still need to be completed before production and distribution.

Upon contract award, DepEd expects nationwide delivery of these resources to be completed by December 2026.

The department said all 105 approved printed and electronic textbook titles are moving through the procurement and distribution process for classroom use.

DepEd also said responsibility for the process is now divided across the Central Office, regional offices, schools division offices and school principals, including monitoring the delivery of learning resources. —Sherylin Untalan/RF, GMA News