Education Secretary Sonny Angara personally witnessed the positive impact of two key government initiatives during a visit to elementary schools in Las Piñas City on Friday, December 5, 2025. The visit focused on the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) and the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) sessions, both critical to the Department of Education's (DepEd) national learning recovery agenda.
ARAL Program Drives Dramatic Literacy Gains
At Talon Elementary School, Secretary Angara lauded teachers and tutors for their remarkable success with the ARAL program. Data presented showed that at the school year's start, 575 learners were identified as struggling readers. By the midyear point, that number had plummeted to just 233.
"That's due to the work of our teachers, our ARAL tutors. Because of their interventions, over 300 students out of the 575 learned how to read," Angara stated in an interview. This translates to 71 percent, or 342 learners, successfully exiting the ARAL program after meeting the required grade-level reading standards. The school's commitment is now to achieve a zero count of non-readers by the school year's end.
Angara emphasized that this intensive, targeted tutorial effort is now being implemented in all public schools across the country, marking a first for DepEd in its scale and nationwide synchronization.
Feeding Program Receives Recognition and Increased Funding
Meanwhile, Moonwalk Elementary School was acknowledged as the division's 2nd Best SBFP Implementer, having catered to 789 beneficiaries through innovative strategies. The visit included the distribution of hot meals to learners, underscoring the program's direct role in supporting student nutrition and well-being.
To ensure the sustainability and expansion of these programs, DepEd has secured significant financial backing. The Senate-approved General Appropriations Bill allocates PHP 28.66 billion for the SBFP. This budget will fund universal feeding for Kindergarten to Grade 1 and extend feeding to 200 days for targeted learners, including severely wasted, wasted, and adolescent pregnant students in higher grades. The program will also source milk from local farmers and food from DOST-FNRI-certified suppliers.
Strengthened Partnerships for Localized Support
Beyond national funding, Angara highlighted enhanced collaboration with Local Government Units (LGUs). An updated Joint Circular on the Special Education Fund now allows LGUs to directly support early-grade feeding, literacy, and learning recovery programs.
"With wider areas now eligible for LGU funding, schools can expect faster and more appropriate support without waiting for action from the national level," the Education Chief explained. This decentralized approach aims to make resource allocation more responsive and efficient, empowering local communities to contribute directly to their schools' success.
The combined force of the ARAL program's academic intervention and the SBFP's nutritional support, backed by robust funding and local partnerships, represents a comprehensive strategy by DepEd to accelerate learning recovery among Filipino students.
