The expanded partnership combines AI access, teacher training, and data-driven literacy tools to support classroom instruction and learning recovery.
The Department of Education and Microsoft are deepening their collaboration to expand the use of artificial intelligence across Philippine public schools, with a commitment to provide 1 million Filipino public school teachers access to Microsoft Copilot.
The renewed partnership builds on existing work in digital learning, teacher development, and literacy while aligning with DepEd’s five-point education agenda. At its core is an effort to give educators tools that can help with lesson planning, personalized learning, administrative work, and the use of classroom insights, while keeping professional judgment central to teaching.
“Our learners deserve an education system that is ready for the future. Through our partnership with Microsoft, we are bringing AI tools to one million Filipino teachers to help them save time, engage learners better, and strengthen teaching in the classroom,” said Education Secretary Sonny Angara. He added that the partnership is also intended to support learning recovery and prepare students for an AI-driven future.
Training teachers to use AI responsibly
Earlier in 2026, DepEd and Microsoft rolled out a nationwide AI skilling program focused on Microsoft Copilot Chat, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant. The program was designed around practical classroom uses and responsible adoption, helping teachers understand how AI can support their work without replacing professional judgment.
The flagship training event drew nearly 75,000 live attendees, while registrations reached more than 175,000 educators. The response led the National Educators’ Academy of the Philippines to extend the program through an asynchronous training phase for registered participants.
Hands-on sessions cover tasks such as drafting communications, creating curriculum-aligned lesson plans and assessments, and summarizing student progress. Responsible-use safeguards are incorporated into the training so teachers can use AI as an instructional aid rather than as a substitute for their own expertise.
Supporting literacy through better classroom data
The partnership also extends to learning recovery through Microsoft Reading Progress and Reading Coach, which are being used as part of DepEd’s Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning Program.
The tools are designed to help teachers identify reading gaps earlier by supplementing formal assessments such as Phil-IRI with more frequent oral reading practice. They surface information on word recognition, omissions, mispronunciations, and reading pace, giving teachers additional data that can support faster intervention.
In a 21-week pilot, the program reached 3,431 students across eight regions, analyzed 8,381 reading submissions, and trained more than 2,100 teachers. Overall teacher satisfaction was reported at 91.5%.
Among students who were reassessed, 780 showed reading progress. Of these, 319 moved up between Phil-IRI bands, while another 461 improved within their existing band, giving teachers a more detailed view of progress even when students had not yet advanced to the next formal proficiency level.
More time for instruction
DepEd and Microsoft are also framing AI adoption around teacher workload. Copilot is intended to help reduce repetitive administrative tasks so educators can devote more time to instruction, intervention, and direct support for learners.
“Technology at its best serves a clear purpose. It helps us see more, respond faster, and use our time more wisely,” said Atty. Marcelino Veloso III, undersecretary for Information and Communications Technology at DepEd. “When technology helps reduce administrative burden, it gives teachers more space to guide, encourage, and intervene in ways that are thoughtful and human.”
This emphasis connects AI adoption with a broader goal of strengthening the role of teachers rather than displacing it. The tools are being positioned as support systems that can help educators work more efficiently while remaining accountable for classroom decisions.
Building on DepEd’s digital foundations
The renewed partnership sits on top of DepEd’s ongoing digitalization efforts, including investments in school connectivity, ICT equipment, smart classrooms, laptops, and other devices for teachers.
Microsoft Copilot, AI training, Reading Progress, and Reading Coach add another layer to those digital foundations by helping educators make greater use of connectivity, data, and digital resources. The partnership is also structured around DepEd’s five-point education agenda covering enabling learning environments, teacher welfare, efficient learning delivery, a future-ready workforce, and emerging issues.
For teachers, this means expanded access to AI-assisted planning, curriculum-aligned assessments, and literacy data. For learners, the longer-term aim is to strengthen foundational skills while building familiarity with technologies that are likely to become more common across workplaces and industries.
Preparing schools for the AI era
Microsoft sees the Philippine education system as an important setting for responsible AI adoption at scale. The company says making Copilot available to 1 million public school teachers creates an opportunity to support classroom productivity while helping educators and learners prepare for a future in which AI will be increasingly common across different professions.
“At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. In the Philippines, there is no more important place to bring that mission to life than in education,” said Mayank Wadhwa, president of Microsoft ASEAN. He said the partnership can help teachers save time, strengthen learning, and prepare Filipino students for an AI-enabled future.
With nationwide access, teacher skilling, and literacy support being developed in parallel, the renewed DepEd-Microsoft partnership represents one of the more ambitious efforts to integrate AI into Philippine public education. Its longer-term impact will depend not only on access to the technology, but on how effectively teachers are trained to use it, how well safeguards are implemented, and whether the tools translate into measurable improvements in classroom practice and student learning.
In Summary
DepEd and Microsoft are expanding their partnership to provide Microsoft Copilot access to 1 million Filipino public school teachers. The initiative builds on a nationwide AI skilling program that has registered more than 175,000 educators and on literacy tools using Microsoft Reading Progress and Reading Coach.
A 21-week literacy pilot reached 3,431 students across eight regions, analyzed 8,381 reading submissions, and trained more than 2,100 teachers. Among reassessed students, 780 demonstrated reading progress, including 319 who moved up between Phil-IRI bands and 461 who improved within their existing band.