From interactive digital materials to gamified learning tools, the country is set to usher in a new era in AI-integrated curriculum with the launch of Project Accelerating Governance and Adaptive Pedagogy through Artificial Intelligence (AGAP.AI).
AGAP.AI—pronounced as ‘agapay,’ a Filipino word which means support or assistance — is a nationwide program aimed at integrating AI into public education and school governance.
“This is what we are trying to do today, standing next to our people and bridging the gap between technology and education,” President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said during yesterday’s national kick-off ceremony held at Quezon City Science High School.
“AI is shaping the way that 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,” Mr. Marcos added.
Under the initiative, the Department of Education will draft the Foundational Guidelines on AI in Basic Education, which the President described as the country’s first national framework governing the ethical and responsible use of AI in schools.
The Department of Education partnered with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) through its Responsible AI for Social Empowerment and Education (RAISE) initiative which also helped develop the Day of AI Australia program.
MIT RAISE will help design AI-integrated learning materials, develop teacher training modules, and embed responsible and ethical AI concepts into the basic education curriculum.
Through these partnerships, DepEd aims to strengthen students’ understanding of digital ethics, data privacy, and critical thinking, Secretary Sonny Angara said.
Educators will also receive training on how AI can support lesson planning, student assessment, and administrative processes.
“There are three impacts here: for the department, our decisions will become more efficient and data-based; for our learners, their knowledge will advance—but again, we shouldn’t forget the fundamental skills outside of AI, like reading and critical thinking—and third, for our teachers, the time they spend preparing lesson plans will be reduced,” Angara said.
Project AGAP.AI aims to reach around 1.5 million learners and teachers across the country through its AI Ready ASEAN Philippines training program. The initiative is funded by the ASEAN Foundation, headed by Dr. Piti Srisangnam, with additional support from Google.
Angara said the Marcos administration’s thrust towards integrating AI into its overall education policy has already been included in the P1.05-trillion allocation of DepEd in the 2026 national budget.
Mr. Marcos, however, cautioned students against treating AI as a substitute for effort and discipline, saying technology should support, not replace, learning and critical thinking.
“There are still some things technology cannot do for us. Technology cannot replace discipline. It cannot replace effort. It cannot replace the habit of showing up prepared and ready to learn. It cannot replace hard work,” he said.
According to the President, as ASEAN chair this year, the Philippines is also pushing for a harmonized, human-centered AI ecosystem in Southeast Asia, focusing on agriculture, finance, health care, manufacturing and education.
Angara echoed President Marcos’ position that AI must be used ethically and should not replace genuine learning.
“AI should not replace hard work, actual studying, and reading,” the DepEd chief said.
Angara said the department is targeting the release of AI-focused in-service training (INSET) modules by the second quarter of the year.
The modules would promote responsible AI use, digital innovation, and 21st-century pedagogical practices in the classroom, he said.
Governments worldwide have been rewiring their education systems to equip students with the necessary skills and critical thinking in an algorithmic world.
In September, China integrated AI into the national curriculum, making it a compulsory subject for all students at primary and secondary school level.
South Korea rolled out in March AI-powered digital textbooks for math, English, and computing for primary and secondary education, while Hong Kong, as early as 2023, has mandated 10 to 14 hours of AI education for junior secondary school students.
