When schools closed during the pandemic, millions of Filipino learners missed months—some even years—of classroom instruction. By 2023, data showed what many teachers already knew: students were struggling to read, compute, and understand basic scientific concepts.
To bridge this gap, the Department of Education (DepEd) launched its most ambitious education recovery program yet—the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program—now institutionalized as Republic Act No. 12028, signed in October 2024.
More than just a post-pandemic fix, ARAL has become the country’s long-term solution for learning equity and recovery across all regions.
What the ARAL Program Is
The ARAL Program is DepEd’s flagship nationwide intervention designed to address learning gaps in Reading, Mathematics, and Science for Kindergarten to Grade 10 learners.
It directly targets the students most affected by the disruptions of 2020–2021—the pandemic years—and those who continue to struggle in key subjects.
Legal Basis
Republic Act No. 12028 (ARAL Law) mandates the creation and continuous funding of ARAL as a free nationwide learning recovery program.
It ensures that no learner is excluded, regardless of school type or location.
Target Learners
- Children who did not enroll during the pandemic years (SY 2020–2021).
- Learners who returned to school after dropping out.
- Students who failed exams or scored below proficiency in reading, math, or science.
- Even private school learners can request ARAL interventions through DepEd.
Subjects Covered
| Grade Level | Focus Areas |
| Kindergarten | Foundational literacy and numeracy |
| Grades 1–10 | Reading and Mathematics |
| Grades 3–10 | Science |
By centering on these three areas, ARAL addresses what global data has long confirmed: literacy and numeracy are the foundation of all future learning.
How the ARAL Program Works
ARAL operates as a free tutorial system, blending traditional instruction with community participation and flexible delivery modes.
- Tutorial Sessions
Learners attend structured, supplemental lessons either face-to-face, online, or in blended formats. Each session reinforces classroom teaching through interactive exercises, drills, and review activities.
- Tutors and Volunteers
DepEd taps not only licensed teachers but also para-teachers, education students, and volunteers from local governments and parents-teachers associations (PTAs).
For example, in Abra province, 846 tutors across 242 schools are actively supporting learners under the ARAL program.
This local engagement ensures that help reaches even the most remote classrooms.
- Learning Materials
Tutors use both printed and digital modules tailored for each grade level. DepEd allocates funds directly to participating divisions—for instance, ₱2 million for Abra’s ARAL operations in 2025—to ensure consistent supply of materials and logistical support.
- Support Systems
ARAL includes additional measures to level the playing field:
- Subsidized data plans for financially disadvantaged learners and tutors.
- Tax incentives for private donors who provide funding or in-kind support.
- Partnerships with LGUs and NGOs to expand reach and sustain operations.
These layered systems make ARAL not just a school-based intervention but a community-wide initiative for education recovery.
Early Results and Data Insights
The first set of measurable outcomes from ARAL is promising, but it also reveals where more effort is needed.
National Achievement Test (NAT) Improvements
DepEd reported that in Abra, one of the early ARAL implementers:
- Grade 6 learners’ scores improved by 7.75 points after ARAL tutoring sessions.
- Grade 12 results, however, declined slightly, indicating that upper-year learners may need specialized or subject-specific interventions.
While this is localized data, it reflects a larger trend: interventions are working best in foundational grades, where early literacy and numeracy remediation are most impactful.
Nationwide Challenges Still Persist
Even with ARAL’s rollout, the Philippines continues to face serious learning recovery challenges.
- The 2018 PISA results showed that 75% of Filipino students scored below minimum proficiency in reading, math, and science.
- The World Bank’s 2022 report reaffirmed that learning poverty—defined as the inability to read and understand simple text by age 10—remains above 90% in low-income areas.
Given these numbers, ARAL’s early impact signals a small but meaningful reversal of this trend. The key now lies in scaling successful models faster and ensuring quality implementation nationwide.
Expansion Through Partnerships
Recognizing the scale of the learning crisis, the Philippine government has mobilized national and global partnerships to reinforce ARAL’s rollout.
- World Bank PLUS-D Project
Approved in 2025, the ₱34.79-billion World Bank PLUS-D Project is one of the largest education investments in the country’s history. It supports:
- Teacher training in remedial instruction and assessment.
- Procurement of laptops and tablets for tutors and learners.
- Localized learning interventions that fit community contexts.
This project doesn’t just fund materials—it builds long-term capacity in schools to sustain recovery beyond the ARAL timeline.
- Integration with DepEd TV
The revival of DepEd TV in November 2025 complements ARAL by broadcasting learning modules on television, radio, and online platforms. This helps reach disaster-affected and remote learners, ensuring education continuity even during calamities.
Together, ARAL and DepEd TV form a dual-delivery system—one reaching homes, the other reinforcing classrooms.
How Successful Has ARAL Been So Far?
The ARAL Program is still in its early stages of nationwide rollout, but three dimensions highlight its growing success: participation, performance, and policy impact.
- Participation: Strong Community Involvement
ARAL has mobilized thousands of volunteers, tutors, and education students across provinces. In some regions, local governments have provided allowances or data subsidies to sustain participation.
This level of inter-agency and community coordination is rare and signals genuine grassroots support for education recovery.
- Performance: Gains in Foundational Skills
Early data, while limited, shows positive gains in lower grade levels, particularly in reading and numeracy. DepEd’s own monitoring reports indicate improved attendance and engagement among learners who previously struggled with remote learning.
However, the limited impact on senior high school students underscores a critical insight: foundational programs like ARAL are effective for catching up—but long-term gains require continued interventions through Grades 11 and 12.
- Policy Impact: Institutionalized Recovery
Perhaps ARAL’s biggest achievement lies in its institutionalization under Republic Act 12028. By elevating it to law, the government ensured continuity across administrations and annual funding allocations through the national budget.
Unlike short-term projects, ARAL now has legislative permanence, making it a pillar of the country’s education resilience framework.
Insights and Future Outlook
The early years of ARAL show that learning recovery is possible—but it demands sustained collaboration and investment.
What the Data Suggests
- Early-grade interventions yield the most measurable progress.
- Community-based tutoring increases participation and motivation.
- Technology integration (via DepEd TV and online tools) bridges access gaps during disasters.
Still, the decline in upper-grade performance warns against complacency. It suggests that ARAL’s next phase should include subject-specific tutoring for senior high, more teacher specialization, and integration with industry-aligned STEM programs.
Broader Impact on Education Policy
ARAL has redefined how the government views recovery. It’s not just about patching learning gaps—it’s about future-proofing Philippine education against disruptions like pandemics and typhoons.
By combining local volunteerism, digital learning, and legislative backing, ARAL shows that education equity can be achieved even in resource-limited environments.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the ARAL Program?
It’s a nationwide DepEd initiative providing free tutorial sessions in reading, math, and science for K–10 learners to address learning gaps. - Who can join ARAL?
Learners who didn’t enroll during the pandemic, returned after dropping out, or scored below proficiency levels may join. Private school learners can also apply. - Is ARAL mandatory?
While voluntary, schools are encouraged to identify and refer struggling learners to participate. - How is ARAL funded?
Through Republic Act 12028 and DepEd’s annual budget, with additional support from LGUs, private donors, and international partners like the World Bank. - What are ARAL’s next steps?
Expanding to senior high levels, enhancing digital delivery, and strengthening monitoring to track student outcomes nationwide.
Conclusion
ARAL is more than a program—it’s a promise.
It’s a promise that every learner, whether in a mountain barangay or an urban slum, deserves a second chance to master reading, numbers, and science.
It’s a promise that the Philippines will not let a generation be defined by the pandemic’s learning losses.
And as ARAL expands—powered by partnerships, data-driven evaluations, and dedicated tutors—it represents a nation catching up, one learner at a time.