DepEd and Microsoft Partner to Advance Philippine Education in the AI Era, Equip 1M Teachers with Microsoft Copilot

The Department of Education (DepEd) and Microsoft are expanding their partnership to integrate AI tools into Philippine classrooms, aligning with DepEd’s five-point education agenda. As part of this effort, Microsoft will grant 1 million public school teachers access to Microsoft Copilot, an AI assistant designed to assist with lesson planning, personalized instruction, and administrative tasks. The initiative aims to reduce teachers’ workloads, allowing more time for direct student engagement and improving learning outcomes in an AI-driven educational landscape.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara highlighted the partnership’s goal of preparing learners for an AI-enabled future by equipping teachers with tools to enhance classroom instruction. The collaboration builds on prior joint programs in literacy, teacher development, and digital learning. Microsoft Copilot will complement these efforts by enabling educators to apply classroom data and professional judgment more effectively. The partnership also includes a nationwide AI skilling program launched in early 2026, which has already trained over 175,000 educators through live and asynchronous sessions focused on practical, responsible AI use in teaching.

As part of DepEd’s Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, Microsoft’s Reading Progress and Reading Coach tools are being used to identify and address reading gaps among students. In a 21-week pilot involving 3,431 students across eight regions, the tools analyzed 8,381 reading submissions and trained over 2,100 teachers, achieving a 91.5% teacher satisfaction rate. The program helped 780 students progress in reading, with 319 moving up between Phil-IRI bands and 461 improving within their existing bands, enabling faster interventions.

The renewed partnership reinforces DepEd’s digitalization agenda, which includes investments in school connectivity, ICT equipment, and teacher devices. Microsoft Copilot, AI skilling programs, and data-driven tools are intended to enhance these foundations by providing educators with timely insights and reducing administrative burdens. Undersecretary for ICT Marcelino Veloso III emphasized that technology should support human-centered teaching by freeing up time for thoughtful instruction. Microsoft ASEAN President Mayank Wadhwa reaffirmed the company’s commitment to empowering educators and learners in the Philippines through this long-term collaboration.