Students, teachers, parents and school heads will be guided in responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in basic education as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Education Secretary Sonny Angara led the launching of Accelerating Governance and Adaptive Pedagogy through Artificial Intelligence or Project AGAP.AI.
As a flagship initiative of the government, Project AGAP.AI places education stakeholders at the center of AI transition.
It aims to deliver clear frameworks, training and safeguards to ensure that AI serves to support teaching, management of school and improve learning outcomes amid the fast pace of changing technology.
Project AGAP.AI will gradually be implemented beginning 2026.
“Agapay means to support or to bridge. This is what we are trying to do.”
“In our language, Agapay means to support or to bridge. This is what we are trying to do, standing next to our people and bridging the gap between technology and education,” Marcos said.
According to Angara, Project AGAP.AI is anchored on a clear national framework in line with the Bagong Pilipinas agenda and the Quality Basic Education Development Plan (QBEDP).
“Isang malinaw na framework, na nakaangkla sa Bagong Pilipinas at sa Quality Basic Education Development Plan. Ito ay para palakasin ang pagtuturo, pagandahin ang pamamahala, at maghatid ng mas mahusay na resulta sa buong education system,” the education chief said.
“Makatao. Makaguro. Makabata. This is how we build a future-ready Philippines. And a future-ready ASEAN,” the education head added.
One major part of Project AGAP.AI is the nationwide capacity-building.
For 2026, DepEd will launch a nationwide AI training program called AI Ready ASEAN Philippines designed for teachers, students and parents.
It aims to reach 1.5 million participants nationwide, specifically 1.05 million learners, 300,000 teachers and 150,000 parents.
The training program will be conducted in collaboration with local partner implementers like Limitless Lab Organization, SmartCitiesPH, Inc., Break the Fake Movement, CGPH Incorporated, at ASEAN Youth Organization.
“It’s not a replacement for hard work, for actual study, and for actual training.”
“Sabi nga ni Pangulo sa kanyang speech, it’s not a replacement for hard work, for actual study, and for actual training,” Angara stressed.
According to DepEd, the initiative will be funded by the ASEAN Foundation, supported by Google.org. The training will introduce AI in a simple way, explaining its concept, practical use in the classroom, the ethics and data privacy and how it can be used against disinformation.
Also signing the Memorandum of Agreement are DepEd and the ASEAN Foundation to formalize their partnership in pushing for responsible and inclusive AI literacy in the country.
To have clear guardrails, DepEd will issue the Foundational Guidelines on the Integration of Artificial Intelligence in Basic Education. This will set the standards for responsible use of AI, protection of learners, inclusivity and ethical deployment of AI tools in schools.
At the same time, DepEd is pushing for reforms in the curriculum. The Department plans to include the concept of AI in the basic education curriculum to strengthen AI literacy and computational thinking of students. To support this, AI-focused in-service training modules for teachers will be launched in the second quarter of 2026.
The initiative will be done with the help of international and local partners. This will include DepEd’s cooperation with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology – Responsible AI for Social Empowerment & Education (MIT RAISE) and Day of AI Initiative for curriculum integration and teacher training.
DepEd will also conduct pilot testing of AI-powered tools in 2026 to support training, assessment, and management of schools. These have been formed by the Education Center for AI Research (ECAIR) aimed to boost data-driven and evidence-based decision-making in the whole education system. DepEd also eyes expansion of existing AI-powered platforms, with reference to reliability, fairness, and data privacy.
Project AGAP.AI is in line with the ASEAN Vision 2045 and the expansion of the digital transformation agenda of the Marcos administration, featuring education as the foundation to prepare Filipinos to an economy shaped by AI.
