President Marcos launches DepEd’s AI program

MANILA, Philippines — President Marcos yesterday launched a new Department of Education (DepEd) program aimed at ensuring the responsible and productive use of artificial intelligence (AI) in basic education.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte joined the President during the launch of the Accelerating Governance and Adaptive Pedagogy through Artificial Intelligence (AGAP.AI) program at the Quezon City Science High School.

Marcos said the initiative would help students understand how AI works, enable teachers to integrate AI into lessons and guide parents in ensuring safe and wise use of the technology at home.

He described the launch as the beginning of a new era in the education system as the country enters 2026.

AGAP.AI was derived from the Filipino word agapay, meaning to support or accompany.

DepEd is developing the Foundational Guidelines on Artificial Intelligence in Basic Education, which will as the country’s first national framework for the ethical and responsible use of AI in schools.

The guidelines are being crafted through consultations with students, parents, teachers, AI experts and education partners.

Angara said DepEd targets to reach up to 1.5 million participants nationwide, including 1.05 million learners, 300,000 teachers and 150,000 parents, with the program to be implemented in phases throughout 2026.

With support from the ASEAN Foundation and Google.org, DepEd will roll out a national AI skills training program.

The training will cover responsible use, detection of misinformation, privacy and security and AI literacy.

During the launch, DepEd also signed a memorandum of agreement with the ASEAN Foundation to formalize their partnership in promoting responsible and inclusive AI literacy in the country.

The President said the government is investing heavily in teachers through AI-focused training modules and will pilot emerging AI-powered tools to enhance classroom instruction and school operations while ensuring fairness and data privacy.

DepEd is also working closely with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to integrate AI concepts into the basic education curriculum.

Angara earlier said DepEd would allocate P100 million for an AI training center for Filipino students which is expected to be completed by the first or second quarter of the year.