BUZZ BEAT MEDIA

In classrooms across the country, principals and teachers are plugging in new Smart TVs, powering up laptops, and flipping through freshly delivered textbooks before School Year 2025-2026 formally opens on June 16. The early deliveries of these learning tools are a direct response to President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s call for a future-ready education system that champions innovation and inclusion. 

Under the watch of Secretary Sonny Angara, the Department of Education’s (DepEd) ramped-up Early Procurement Activities (EPA), with thousands of schools receiving much-needed learning tools months ahead of schedule. The early deliveries—part of a broader push to modernize public education—have drawn praise from school heads and teachers.

For public school heads like Jocelyn Reyes of Pagalanggang Elementary School in Bataan, it is more than a change in routine. Her school received 5 units of Smart TV. 

“It would be a great help sa ating mga mag-aaral, especially when it comes to reading. Napakalaking tulong po niyan talaga para mapabasa namin ang mga bata namin,” she shared.

The initiative is part of DepEd’s FY 2025 EPA, which has already secured 79 percent of the annual budget for its Computerization Program. So far, 33,539 laptops for teachers and 5,360 laptops for non-teaching staff have been procured, with ongoing deliveries of the winning suppliers.

In addition, nearly 26,000 Smart TV packages, each bundled with external hard drives, have also been acquired. Region VII is set to receive over 2,300 units, while procurement for Regions IX and CAR continues. In NCR, 1,340 laptops are scheduled for distribution to 268 schools between June 16 and 26.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara underscored that the real measure of progress lies not in procurement figures but in the delivery of resources where they matter most—inside classrooms, in the hands of teachers, and within reach of learners.

“Hindi lang ito basta pag-deliver ng gamit, ito’y paghahatid ng oportunidad,” Angara said. “Kapag dumadating na talaga sa mga paaralan ang mga kagamitan, doon natin nararamdaman ang tunay na pagbabago. Mas nagiging buhay ang pagkatuto, mas naaabot ng mga bata, at mas nakakagana para sa mga guro.”

Beyond hardware, DepEd is also fast-tracking the rollout of textbooks aligned with the revised K to 10 curriculum. Titles for Grades 1, 4, and 7 are 99% procured, with procurement for Grades 2, 5, and 8 nearing the halfway mark. Books for Grades 6, 9, and 10 will follow later this year, with distribution set for 2026.

Schools are also continuing to rely on a wide spectrum of alternative learning materials, from lesson exemplars and activity sheets to ADM modules and decodable books housed in Library Hubs. Digital content is also accessible through platforms like the DepEd Learning Management System, the Learning Resource Portal, and the Likha App.

Educators say the early deployment of learning tools is already making a difference. For many, it marks a shift from reactive to proactive classroom management – a key element of quality education. 

“Sa ngayon, talagang nakikita namin ang pagbabago sa DepEd. At talagang nagpapasalamat kami, lalo na sa ating Secretary, kay Sec. Sonny Angara. Unti-unti, naiibabangon natin at naihahatid natin ‘yung tinatawag nating quality education para sa ating mga mag-aaral,” said Principal Raffy Abilong of Sta Isabel Elementary School. 

As schools prepare for the new academic year, the impact of early resource deployment is being felt in the growing confidence of school heads and teachers. 

*All Photos from DepEd