The Department of Education (DepEd) and Microsoft Philippines continue their collaboration to improve national literacy outcomes by strengthening foundational skills for students and supporting teachers with Microsoft’s accessible AI-powered solutions.
Microsoft Learning Accelerators combine AI-powered coaching and progress tracking to help students strengthen core skills in reading, math, and well-being, while building future-ready capabilities such as digital information literacy and effective communication.
Reading Progress is the first of these tools to be introduced and is now central to DepEd’s strategy, having seen successful adoptions in Bais, Dumaguete where over 14,000 learners in 61 schools were assessed, and Cabanatuan City where 100% of learners in 3 school districts progressed to higher literacy levels.
The tool automates reading fluency checks and provides actionable insights that help teachers identify learning gaps and personalize support while saving significant administrative time. Reading Progress establishes a clear pathway from assessment to intervention, enabling richer classroom engagement and connecting foundational literacy to broader digital and AI-readiness skills.
“Literacy remains one of our biggest national challenges, with many learners still not meeting expected proficiency levels. Reading Progress gives us a clear starting point to understand where our students are today, and through our partnership with Microsoft, we aim to significantly raise literacy outcomes in the coming years so every child builds the strong foundation they deserve,” said DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara. “This work is fully aligned with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s prioritization of foundational skills and his broader investment in strengthening the education system. Through the President’s Five-Point Education Agenda—learning recovery, learner well-being, teacher support, digitalization, and strong education governance—we are accelerating reforms that ensure every child can read, learn, and thrive.”
As part of DepEd’s ARAL (Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning) program launched in September 2025, Microsoft has begun enabling educators in 25 school districts nationwide and targets 3,000 teachers across 1,500 schools throughout 2026.
To further its ambition, DepEd launched AGAP.AI (Accelerating Governance and Adaptive Pedagogy through Artificial Intelligence) DepEd on January 9, 2026. AGAP.AI is the Philippines’ first nationwide program for responsible AI integration in basic education which aims to train 1.5 million students, teachers, and parents in AI literacy and ethical use.
Speaking at the launch at Quezon City Science High School, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. underscored the urgency of preparing schools for a rapidly changing world. “This initiative reflects our belief that education must evolve in tandem with the changes in our world,” he said. “We all know that AI is shaping the way we communicate and the way that we solve everyday problems. Our responsibility now is to ensure that our students use AI confidently and ethically – enabling them to stay ahead in this learning journey that they are going through. All of these initiatives will ensure that AI in education prepares our institutions to keep pace with technology and that every Filipino benefits from those new technologies.”
Together, ARAL and AGAP.AI form part of DepEd’s broader vision for a digitally enabled and AI-ready education system—one that strengthens foundational competencies while equipping students, teachers, and parents with the skills needed to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
“The opportunity in the Philippines is truly transformative. With thousands of schools and more than 24 million students across the DepEd system, Microsoft recognizes both the scale of this opportunity and the responsibility we carry to help empower the entire education ecosystem through technology,” said Jonathan Que, Country General Manager of Microsoft Philippines. “Our goal is to elevate national literacy in close partnership with DepEd, aligning the Philippines with the world’s highest-performing education systems and institutions. By leveraging Microsoft’s trusted platforms and solutions, we aim to empower educators, inspire learners, and unlock every Filipino’s potential, helping build a future-ready nation where knowledge fuels opportunity, innovation, and inclusive growth.”
