Marcos OKs DepEd’s PLUS-D to boost learning recovery

MANILA, Philippines —  President Marcos has approved the Project for Learning Upgrade Support and Decentralization (PLUS-D), a nationwide education initiative designed to tackle learning losses and grant more autonomy to regions and schools in implementing improvements.

Managed by the Department of Education (DepEd), PLUS-D will channel resources and technical support straight to schools and regional offices to speed up learning recovery in the early grades and upgrade instruction in junior high school.

The project combines nationwide learning interventions with targeted grants to more than 11,000 schools identified as ready to implement decentralized activities.

The six-year project will be financed through a P34.79-billion ($600 million) World Bank loan and a P3.47-billion ($60 million) counterpart from the Philippine government, with around 21.2 million K-10 learners standing to benefit from the combined nationwide and targeted interventions.

PLUS-D will provide system-level interventions, including technical and operational support for a nationwide learning acceleration program to address learning gaps in Kindergarten to Grade 6, complementing the ongoing Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning Program.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the approval signals a major shift toward empowering those closest to the learners to make key decisions that directly impact learning.

“With PLUS-D, schools with the capacity and readiness can move faster, innovate more and be held accountable for real results for learners. We need to trust those closest to the children,” Angara said.

In addition, a key feature of the project is a grant program for regional offices and schools, which will allow them to finance targeted interventions for local-level learning improvement, teachers’ capacity enhancement and inclusive education.

It also includes a stronger performance-based accountability mechanism where schools that significantly improve learning outcomes may receive additional funding and public recognition.

The initiative also aims to add to the number of teachers receiving laptops as a complement to the current computerization program and in support of DepEd’s push for digital transformation in basic education.

Implementation will begin in select regions, based on readiness indicators such as planning capacity, financial management and school governance systems.

“This approval sends a clear message that education reform will no longer be centrally controlled and painfully slow. Our mission is to let local leadership thrive, and let Filipino learners recover and rise,” Angara said.