AI Revolutionizes Education Governance and Decision-Making
Sonny Angara, the Secretary of Education, highlighted how artificial intelligence has changed the Department of Education’s data systems. The Education Center for Artificial Intelligence Research (ECAIR) started the projects that led to the advancements.
He said that AI-powered insights now make policy choices and operations better, which helps the department run its huge bureaucracy more effectively and precisely.
Marked Improvement in Data Quality Across DepEd Systems
Angara stressed that the quality of education data has gotten a lot better since ECAIR was set up in 2024. There have been fewer differences in data and delays in reporting.
He said that even while a lot of progress has been made, more innovation and cooperation are still needed to keep AI-driven modernization going in the education sector.
ECAIR Projects Advance Data-Driven Learning Management
ECAIR is in charge of a number of projects that aim to improve the administration of student information and data governance. Project DUNONG, SIGLA, and TALINO are some of them. They all focus on performance metrics and making infrastructure more visible.
These initiatives use machine learning models to look at how schools work, improve student profiles, and help make decisions based on evidence that leads to improved educational results.
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Faster Leadership Appointments and Streamlined Processes
AI programs have sped up the process of choosing and hiring school heads all across the Philippines. This year, 4,410 people who wanted to be principals passed the national qualification tests using the AI-optimized method.
By cutting down on unnecessary administrative work and making sure that leadership data was correctly consolidated, the digital process saved approximately ₱5 million.
Reducing Teacher Workload Through Automation
Because of automation capabilities that were included under ECAIR, teachers now spend less time entering data by hand. It now takes less than half the time to encode learners’ health data.
This cut from 3.75 to 1.87 hours per year lets teachers spend less time on paperwork and more time on making sure their lessons are good and their students are involved.
Transparent Resource Allocation Through Real-Time Insights
Dashboards with AI can show real-time information on school infrastructure, resource use, and operations. These mechanisms make ensuring that budget spending is clear and accountable.
DepEd says that this kind of visibility builds confidence among stakeholders and helps make decisions based on facts that will lead to fair resource allocation across the country.
Building a Smarter, Future-Ready Education System
Angara said again that ECAIR is a sign of DepEd’s long-term goal to make the education system smarter and more open. He claimed that AI would keep changing how we learn, how we run our governments, and how we manage our workforces.
The Philippines wants to be the leader in ethical and efficient AI-driven education governance in ASEAN, with ongoing support from teachers, politicians, and tech partners.
