By Brian Campued
In line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure the welfare of educators across the country, the Department of Education (DepEd) assured full support for public school teachers through the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program and that they will not lose their jobs due to the streamlining of the Strengthened Senior High School (SSHS) Curriculum.
In a statement Wednesday, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said that while they acknowledge the challenges in funding for the implementation of ARAL Program, the agency is maximizing the available budget to address critical expenses and support schools.
“Alinsunod sa malinaw na direktiba ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, prayoridad natin na pagsabayin ang mabilis na learning recovery at ang sapat na suporta para sa ating mga guro. Sinisiguro natin na sa pagpapalawak ng ARAL program, hindi mao-overburden ang ating mga guro—mananatili sa itinakdang limitasyon ang kanilang workload at mababayaran nang tama ang kanilang extra service,” Angara said.
“Magiging matagumpay lang ang pagbabago sa ating sistema ng edukasyon kung sabay nating aalagaan ang ating mga mag-aaral at ang mga gurong gumagabay sa kanila,” he added.
Under the program, teachers serving as tutors during weekdays will be entitled to teaching overload pay, provided they exceed the prescribed actual classroom teaching of six hours.
During weekends, holidays, and long vacation periods, teachers may earn Vacation Service Credits (VSCs), with one hour of service equivalent to 1.5 hours of VSC.
For 2026, the ARAL Program has a total budget of P8.94 billion, with more than P2.25 billion allocated for learning materials.
Currently, around P1.09 billion has been transferred to schools, with an additional P1.77 billion scheduled for release to cover teaching resources and session support materials such as flashcards, visual aids, and essential monitoring activities.
The DepEd is also set to launch an online platform for applicants this month to facilitate faster mobilization and training of tutors, including qualified external professionals, to supplement school personnel.
Meanwhile, Angara assured that despite the implementation of the SSHS curriculum this year, public school teachers will be provided with appropriate teaching loads, allowing them to handle relevant electives, provide work immersion support, field experience management, or learning remediation programs.
Private schools can likewise reassign SHS teachers to electives, as well as to various learning support functions that match their credentials.
“Malinaw ang ating assurance sa public school teachers: Walang mawawalan ng trabaho dahil sa SSHS curriculum,” Angara said.
“Ang ginagawa natin ay inaayos ang curriculum para mas malinaw ang direksyon ng learners, habang sinisigurong ang ating mga guro ay may teaching load, suporta, at malinaw na role sa transition,” he added.
Under the SSHS, Academic Track learners may take electives across clusters, such as Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities; Business and Entrepreneurship; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics; Sports, Health, and Wellness; and Field Experience.
Technical-Professional Track learners, on the other hand, may take electives aligned with training regulations and industry needs, incuding agriculture, food innovation, construction, creative arts and design, hospitality and tourism, industrial technologies, ICT, maritime, and human care.
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