DepEd launches nationwide PISA school visits to sustain gains

MANILA, Philippines —The Department of Education (DepEd) has launched nationwide field visits to participating public and private schools to strengthen local support networks and sustain long-term academic gains, according to a statement it issued on Wednesday.

DepEd wants to build on the Philippines’ historic performance in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

Last Monday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Education Secretary Sonny Angara led a national recognition ceremony f to honor the efforts of educators, students, families, local government units (LGUs), and multi-sectoral partners responsible for that achievement.

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READ: Marcos, Angara praise schools, partners behind PH’s PISA gains

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On Wednesday night, DepEd staged PISA 2025: A Night of Excellence and Shared Achievement at Novotel Manila, Araneta City, Quezon City, during which Angara recognized school heads, teachers, and education leaders from 20 participating Metro Manila schools.

The event also gathered local chief executives, division superintendents, and private stakeholders.

In the 2025 PISA cycle, the Philippines emerged as the world’s fastest-improving nation in reading performance while recording significant score increases across all three domains of reading, science, and mathematics compared to 2022.

“PISA does not only measure where a country stands across different domains; it reminds us of what we can achieve when everyone takes part in moving education forward and helping every Filipino learner reach their dreams,” Angara said.

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READ: PH improves rank in international education assessment

He stressed that sustaining this progress requires a deep, long-term commitment.

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“Under the leadership of President Bongbong Marcos Jr., we will continue building on this momentum. But sustaining progress will require more than one program, one administration, or one assessment cycle. It will require all of us,” he said.

Initial dialogues

To achieve that goal, DepEd has started conducting field dialogues and monitoring visits across regions.

In the Soccsksargen Region, local dialogues among school heads, assessment coordinators, teachers, and parents highlighted strong community involvement and heightened digital testing readiness.

International assessments like PISA, DepEd said, can provide crucial insights for refining classroom instruction, and collective support ensures that students can have the environment needed to demonstrate their full potential.

“The support of parents is valuable in strengthening the confidence of their children during testing,” said Victor Emmanuel R. Baliao, a parent from Alabel National Science High School in Sarangani.

Leilann Gerlie T. Marzo, International Large-Scale Assessment (ILSA) Coordinator at Matutum View Academy in South Cotabato, noted a marked shift in student confidence during computer-based testing.

“These learners are no longer the shy students who used to shy away from computers. In just a few days, we saw a remarkable change — they became more comfortable, more confident, and even started coming to the review room ahead of the PISA-trained teacher,” she said.

In the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), participating schools, including Baguio City National Science High School, and Cordillera Regional Science High School, hosted stakeholder appreciation programs to honor the educators, parents, and community partners whose collaboration drove assessment readiness.

In Eastern Visayas (Region VIII), regional monitoring teams and division leaders conducted a series of school-level monitoring sessions to ensure data-driven literacy programs and support structures are firmly established.

The visits showcased how global assessment insights are being directly translated into localized learning strategies.

A total of 8,702 students from 208 public and private schools nationwide represented the Philippines in the 2025 PISA cycle.

DepEd is leveraging these field visits to anchor academic gains into permanent systems through core learning recovery initiatives, including the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program.

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By strengthening ties with LGUs, local school boards, and community partners, DepEd aims to bridge remaining learning gaps and accelerate basic education quality nationwide. /atm