DepEd buying over 170,000 MacBook laptops for P7.4 billion

TECHNOLOGY. Public school teachers using MacBook laptops.

Department of Education

Apple describes the Department of Education’s purchase as its ‘biggest education deal ever for Mac’

AT A GLANCE

• The Department of Education in the Philippines is purchasing 172,654 Apple MacBook Neo laptops for public school teachers and staff.
• Each laptop costs approximately P43,000.
• This procurement is part of the DepEd Computerization Program.

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MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Education (DepEd) is purchasing more than 170,000 Apple MacBook Neo laptops worth a total of P7.4 billion for its public school teachers and staff nationwide.

The DepEd announced on Tuesday, November 3, that it is buying 172,654 MacBook Neo laptops. Public school teachers will get 169,008 of these units, while the remaining 3,646 will be for public school administrative officers.

According to the DepEd, each unit costs approximately P43,000, or P6,900 cheaper than the base model’s Philippine suggested retail price of P49,900. The base model has 256 gigabytes of storage.

The laptops will be distributed from November 2026 to March 2027, and will have a five-year warranty. Previously, the education department’s laptop procurement projects had a standard one-year retail warranty.

“The package includes built-in productivity tools, delivery and logistics, and professional development for recipients,” added the DepEd.

Apple’s ‘biggest education deal’

Apple first announced the transaction during its financial results conference call for the 4th quarter of 2026 on Tuesday morning (Manila time).

Apple chief executive officer John Ternus reported in his first quarterly earnings call: “We recently secured our biggest education deal ever for Mac with the Department of Education in the Philippines. They’re going to deploy 170,000 MacBook Neos to teachers and staff.”

Unveiled last March, the MacBook Neo can run up to 16 hours on a single charge.

Apple said in a previous press release: “Powered by A18 Pro, MacBook Neo can fly through everyday tasks…. In fact, it’s up to 50% faster for everyday tasks like web browsing, and up to 3x faster when running on-device AI workloads like applying advanced effects to photos, compared to the bestselling PC with the latest shipping Intel Core Ultra 5.”

In a statement, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said they welcome the participation of the American tech giant in the competitive bidding for the latest project under the DepEd Computerization Program.

“For the longest time, our teachers have carried the heavy personal burden of buying their own laptops or maintaining outdated equipment just to keep up with lesson plans. Under the vision of President Marcos, we are changing the narrative,” Angara said.

“It isn’t just about handing out world-class hardware with five-year warranties; it’s about giving our educators the best tools, backed by robust training so they can focus on what matters most: teaching our children.”

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. promised the delivery of laptops to every public school teacher during his 2025 State of the Nation Address. Teachers’ groups have flagged the long-overdue equipment.

There are around 900,000 public school teachers in the country.

Progress in computerization program

The DepEd has yet to specify which schools would receive the latest laptops. But the education department and Apple plan to roll out a series of cluster launches and interactive teacher unboxing sessions across the country.

The DepEd is also collaborating with Apple to launch a co-designed comprehensive training framework called GuroXL.

“In coordination with the National Educators Academy of the Philippines, the training pathway will guide educators toward Apple Teacher Certifications and specialized tech leadership credentials,” the agency explained. 

Under the DepEd Computerization Program, contracts have been awarded for 231,725 laptops, so far. Of the figure, 169,008 are MacBook Neo units and 62,717 are Windows-based units. 

P10.68 billion was allocated for the program in the 2026 national budget.

For 2027, the DepEd is seeking P13 billion from the Senate to buy over 267,000 laptops. The request came following lower funding in the House of Representatives’ version of the proposed 2027 budget.

The education department’s procurement process has not been without controversy. A 2023 Rappler investigation found that laptops intended for public school teachers during the Duterte administration ended up being sold in retail stores. – Rappler.com