On February 20, 2026, Education Secretary Sonny Angara issued Department Order No. 003, s. 2026, the Philippines’ first national framework governing how artificial intelligence may be used in basic education. The order permits teachers, non-teaching staff, and students to use tools such as ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Grammarly, and Khanmigo, provided they adhere to ethical, pedagogical, and human-centred standards. High-risk AI applications require strict human oversight; low-risk uses are permitted with guidance. The policy introduces AI literacy as a life skill within basic education.
The DepEd also launched the AGAP.AI programme (Accelerating Governance and Adaptive Pedagogy through Artificial Intelligence) in January 2026, targeting AI literacy training for 1.5 million students, teachers, and parents. AGAP.AI is funded by the ASEAN Foundation and supported by Google.org, providing training in AI fundamentals, ethical use, data privacy, and misinformation risks. A nationwide AI curriculum is under development and is expected to be released in the second quarter of 2026.
Who it affects: All teachers, non-teaching staff, and students in Philippine public basic education. The AI literacy training under AGAP.AI targets a combined 1.5 million individuals across the education system. The curriculum framework, once released, would apply to all schools at the basic education level.
What is notably missing: Department Order No. 003 s. 2026 is an administrative directive, not a law; it can be amended or revoked by a subsequent order. The AGAP.AI programme relies on external donor funding rather than a dedicated domestic budget line, raising questions about sustainability. The full AI curriculum has not yet been enacted, only announced for Q2 2026.