Jauhn Etienne Villaruel

Article (news)

Francis Orcio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1772097696170176874416278820250616-class-opening-manila-JC5194.webp" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Teachers give orientation to parents and pupils as classes open at Fernando Ma. Guerrero Elementary School in Paco, Manila, on June 16, 2025. Jonathan Cellona, ABS-CBN News/File</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — The Department of Education (DepEd) said Thursday it will work hand in hand with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to integrate artificial intelligence into Philippine classrooms, while drawing clear safeguards to prevent students from becoming overly dependent on AI at the expense of critical thinking and core academic skills.</p><p>This, after the government formally activated the National Artificial Intelligence Center for Research and Innovation (NAICRI).</p><p>At the press conference on Thursday following the launch of NAICRI, DepEd officials framed their role not merely as users of AI products but as co-developers shaping systems around real learning problems.</p><p>The exchange was prompted by questions on how schools would respond to the growing reliance of students on generative AI tools such as ChatGPT and whether these technologies risk weakening foundational skills like writing, analysis, and comprehension.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/2/23/deped-s-three-term-school-year-proposal-draws-scrutiny-pushback-at-house-hearing-1531">DepEd’s ‘three-term school year’ proposal draws scrutiny, pushback at House hearing</a></div><p>Responding on behalf of DepEd, Managing Director for DepEd’s Education Center for AI Research Dr. Erika Legara stressed that AI must remain a support tool rather than a substitute for thinking.</p><p>“This is really going to be a whole AI ecosystem. And as we all know, AI is a tool across sectors. So every agency, there is a relevance for artificial intelligence. So collaboration po talaga iyong magiging outcome nito. And we are very excited to work closely with other government agencies to represent one AI for the Philippines,” Legara said.</p><p>Legara added that work is already underway not only on AI systems that could improve education service delivery within DepEd, but also on curriculum reforms that will define how and when AI may be used in learning.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/7/27/decades-old-plight-newer-challenges-loom-as-philippines-enters-new-school-year-1006">Decades-old plight, newer challenges loom as Philippines enters new school year</a></div><p>“Within the Department of Education, there&#x27;s also offices there that really look into not just building of AI systems to improve education service delivery, meron din po tayong efforts talaga to look into the curriculum,” Legara stated.</p><p>Beyond classroom tools, DepEd and DOST plan to use AI and data analytics to understand why many Filipino students continue to struggle academically, including in international assessments.</p><p>DOST Secretary Renato Solidum Jr. said education data could be linked with information on health, nutrition, geography, and socio-economic conditions to identify root causes of poor learning outcomes.</p><p>“One of the challenges that DepEd faces would be the learning performance as evaluated through PISA examination. And so we have to understand why. So to find the root cause of the problem, since DOST has many organizations that look into various data, you can ask the question, is it related to malnutrition? Is it related to being sickly? Is it being related to the distance of the house where they stay to the school or the economic state or even agricultural production in the locality versus availability of nutritious food?” said Solidum.</p><p>“With AI, perhaps we can find the causes of the problem of low learning performance. And so we can now provide the most appropriate fit-for-purpose solution. Hindi ‘yan pare-pareho all over the Philippines,” he added.</p><p>Crucially for education leaders, the discussion repeatedly returned to the idea that AI should never drive policy on its own. The technology must be introduced only after clearly defining the problem it is meant to solve, especially in schools.</p><p>“We are not building AI for the sake of building AI. AI is really a tool, so important na ma-identify muna natin saan siya makatutulong. Hindi tayo gawa nang gawa lang para lang masabi na may AI tayo. But start from the people,” DepEd’s Legara said.</p><p>The NAICRI launch positions the new center as the institutional backbone of the National AI strategy for the Philippines.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><strong><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/NT6k5Fs8c1M?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span></strong><br/></div>

<p>DepEd’s Education Center for AI Research Dr. Erika Legara stressed that AI must remain a support tool rather than a substitute for thinking.</p>

DepEd’s Education Center for AI Research Dr. Erika Legara stressed that AI must remain a support tool rather than a substitute for thinking.

DepEd to co-build AI with DOST, vows safeguards vs student overreliance on AI generative tools

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DepEd to co-build AI with DOST, vows safeguards vs student overreliance on AI generative tools

Francis Orcio,

ABS-CBN News

Published Feb 26, 2026 05:23 PM PHT

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Updated Feb 26, 2026 05:54 PM PHT

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