The Department of Education (DepEd) has vowed to resolve persistent issues in the public school system as classes opened nationwide for School Year 2025–2026.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Education Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara visited schools in Bulacan and Quezon City to check on preparations, including facility upgrades and support services.
Marcos emphasized the importance of basic utilities, saying, “We’re making sure that everyone will have power and water. Those are the basic services [we should have] for the good of our youth’s education.” Angara, meanwhile, toured Taguig City, Laguna, and Agusan del Norte, where he led the energization of a remote campus, Datu Saldong Elementary School.
Angara also inaugurated a new Alternative Learning System–Community Learning Center (ALS-CLC) in Buenavista, Agusan del Norte. DepEd likewise rolled out the CLASS+ program, giving learners and teachers access to vital health services.
Despite these efforts, Angara admitted major challenges remain—among them, classroom shortages and limited personnel. DepEd aims to build 15,000 new classrooms by 2027, while also strengthening child protection, mental health support, and teacher hiring.
