DepEd cites funding gaps in ARAL program

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday said the current funding for its Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program falls short, amid concerns over the lack of designated tutors for the initiative.

“DepEd acknowledges that current funding remains insufficient to cover all requirements,” the agency said in a news release.

“The agency is maximizing the available budget to address critical expenses and support schools,” it added.

The ARAL Program aims to address learning gaps among students nationwide by providing free, targeted interventions, tutorials, and resources.

Under the agency’s historic P1.015 trillion 2026 budget, P8.94 billion was allocated to the ARAL program. Of which, over P2.25 billion has been assigned for learning materials, with resources and clear implementation guidelines deployed to regional offices.

DepEd noted that schools currently have access to P1.09 billion in existing ARAL funds. At the same time, an additional PHP1.77 billion will be released for teaching and learning resources, session support materials such as flashcards and visual aids, and essential monitoring activities.

Over 400,000 tutors were expected to be hired under the ARAL program for School Year (SY) 2026-2027 to boost learning recovery efforts and ease the workload among public school teachers.

However, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines reported that the agency has failed to provide the designated tutors, leading teachers to take on additional duties.

“Where are the ARAL tutors who were supposed to assist in learning recovery efforts? Where are the additional education support personnel needed to perform non-teaching and ancillary functions?” ACT Chairperson Ruby Bernardo said in a statement on Tuesday.

“Teachers continue to shoulder responsibilities that should have already been transferred to dedicated support staff,” she added. “The billions allotted for academic recovery and education reforms remain invisible to teachers and learners.”

Amid growing concerns, DepEd clarified that tutorial sessions conducted by public school teachers are considered remedial classes and will be counted toward their teaching load.

“Our priority is to advance learning recovery while ensuring adequate support for our teachers,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said in Filipino in a news release.

The agency added that teachers who worked as tutors during weekdays are entitled to teaching overload pay, provided they surpassed the prescribed six-hour classroom teaching load.

During weekends, holidays, and long vacation periods, teachers may earn Vacation Service Credits (VSCs), with one hour of service equivalent to 1.5 hours of VSC.

The agency said it has also established safeguards that limit the daily teaching overload to two hours.

“As we expand the ARAL program, we are making sure that teachers are not overburdened,” Mr. Angara said. “Their workload will remain within prescribed limits and they will be properly compensated for any additional services rendered.”

“Reforms in our education system will only succeed if we support both our learners and the teachers who guide them,” he added.

The ARAL Program is expected to benefit 6.7 million learners nationwide, up from three million in 2025. — Almira Louise S. Martinez