Improving PH learning gains needs strong LGU support – Angara
MANILA, Philippines — Improving the learning gains that the Philippines has made, as evidenced by its performance in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), would need the stronger and more active participation of local government units, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said in a Department of Education (DepEd) statement issued on Friday.
“LGUs played a crucial role, from the provincial, city, and municipal levels down to our barangays,” Angara said, referring to the country’s improved performance in the 2025 PISA.
“They coordinated with schools to ensure good testing conditions, including standby generators, medical personnel, and other learner support. They helped ensure that schools and students were prepared for the assessment, and may this support of LGUs for education continue,” he added in Filipino.
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According to the DepEd statement, more than 170 LGUs actively participated in supporting PISA-related preparations and activities.
In Metro Manila and Luzon, LGUs — such as Caloocan City and Pasig City in Metro Manila, the provincial government of Camarines Sur, and the town of Ayod in Isabela — provided practical support for PISA preparations, including funding, assessment room improvements, tablets, internet connectivity, laptops, generators, food, and other learner assistance.
In the Visayas and Mindanao, the town of Tapaz in Capiz provided financial assistance for students’ food and snacks, while the Tandag City government provided internet connectivity, a generator, computer laboratory upgrades, and assistance to learners.
The Philippines has recorded its strongest performance in reading, mathematics, and science since joining the international assessment in 2018. It also improved the proportion of students reaching at least the baseline proficiency level in all three domains.
Angara credited the strong participation of governors, mayors, barangay captains, barangay officials, and other local leaders — showing how education has increasingly become a central priority for them.
He added that the growing commitment of LGUs to education is reflected in the evolving use of the Special Education Fund (SEF).
Under the administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., reforms have encouraged LGUs to allocate SEF resources toward targeted learning recovery, such as the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, and nutrition initiatives, Angara pointed out.
These efforts have helped DepEd address learning gaps, particularly among students who need additional support. The PISA findings themselves underscore why such investments matter.
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The stronger role of LGUs also aligns with the direction of DepEd reforms toward greater local participation and accountability through decentralization.
Andreas Schleicher, the director for education and skills of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), similarly stressed the importance of giving schools and communities greater capacity and flexibility to respond to the needs of their students, while maintaining clear accountability and national standards.
For Angara, the active participation of LGUs demonstrates the importance of treating education as a shared responsibility, with national and local governments working alongside schools, families, communities, and partners. /atm
