- DepEd and Microsoft expand AI-powered literacy initiatives like Reading Progress and Reading Coach to boost reading proficiency and reduce teacher workload across Philippine public schools.
- Pilot programs show strong results, including a drop in struggling readers from 14 to zero in Cabanatuan schools and a 90% reduction in teacher evaluation time in Bais City, impacting over 14,000 students in 60 schools.
- The partnership supports Secretary Sonny Angara’s 5-point education agenda, aligning AI tools with national reading goals (PHIL-IRI) and scaling digital literacy to empower both learners and educators nationwide.
DepEd and Microsoft deepen their partnership to enhance reading literacy in the Philippines through the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to support educators and learners. The increasing partnership is an affirmation of a common vision to democratize AI for the greater good of the education sector, strengthening Secretary Sonny Angara's five-point education agenda.
Most recently, on June 18, students and teachers convened for "Read and Lead: An AI-powered Literacy Day" at Ilugin Elementary School in Pasig City. The event included live demonstrations of Reading Progress and Reading Coach, with grade 4 to 6 students conducting guided reading activities. Teachers and education professionals demonstrated how the tools individualize instruction and administrative workload. Jessica Leaño, ICT coordinator of the school, observed that the tools assisted ten below-grade readers to become proficient and compressed the time required to produce literacy reports by a significant amount.
The activity was joined by DepEd's and other government agencies' important representatives, such as Assistant Secretary Marcelino Veloso III, Assistant Secretary Carmela Oracion, and Congressman Roman Romulo, the co-chair of the Second Congressional Commission on Education. Each of them showed strong belief in the initiative and its capability to turn around literacy results all over the country.
Assistant Secretary Veloso shared, “Reading has shaped my journey from law and ICT to public service. Aligned with the President’s call to make digitalization a standard in our schools, we’re exploring tools like Reading Progress that empower both learners and educators. Our commitment is clear: scale what works, so every Filipino child can thrive in a rapidly changing world”.
Assistant Secretary Carmela Oracion, leader of the literacy program, underscored the ripple effect of these programs "Literacy is the bedrock on which learning is built, and through the use of AI-enabled tools, we empower our teachers and students to succeed in a digital age. Our target is to have all learners, no matter what their background, become proficient readers and lifelong learners. Partnering with companies such as Microsoft is central to making this vision a reality and revolutionizing literacy nationwide".
Participating parents spoke highly of the Reading Progress program, mentioning that it gives their children the confidence and autonomy to be more accomplished, self-sufficient readers in school and at home, as well as enabling families to become more engaged and supportive participants in the literacy process with their children.
The READExcel pilot in Cabanatuan was launched in three schools: Macatbong Integrated School, PG Crisostomo Integrated School, and LD Renon Integrated School.
The program enhanced reading fluency and greatly decreased the number of struggling readers. Pre-test data indicated 14 students in the struggling category, which decreased to zero after the intervention. Improvements were credited to regular reading practice, guardian assistance, and instructional videos. Teachers and parents saw learners exhibiting greater motivation and confidence. Teachers in Bais City have been utilizing Microsoft's Reading Progress tool to simplify reading testing and improve support for students. What once took two full days to evaluate now requires only two hours, unlocking time for lesson planning and one-on-one support.
Over 14,000 students in 60 schools have been using the tool, which allows students to practice reading on their own and provides teachers with immediate feedback on fluency, pronunciation, and pacing. Venus Marie Catubay of Bais City South Central School explained how the tool assisted her in pinpointing areas for intervention and monitoring the progress of students more efficiently. Looking to the future, the collaboration looks to harmonize Reading Progress with DepEd's National Reading Program, aligned with the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory (PHIL-IRI) objectives.
With industry collaborators, DepEd and Microsoft will collaborate to extend the program to additional schools across the country and build teacher capacity through digital literacy and creative application of AI in the classroom. This is only the start, exclaimed Peter Maquera, Microsoft Philippines CEO. "With technology coupled with the enthusiasm of Filipino teachers, we can bridge the literacy gap and enable all learners to thrive".
