The Philippines’ improved performance in the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) proves that education reforms can deliver results, but the country must now confront the deeper challenge of ensuring that every learner builds a strong foundation before reaching higher education, a House leader said.
House Committee on Higher and Technical Education Chairperson and TINGOG Party-list Rep. Jude Acidre welcomed the country’s progress, citing the improvement of Filipino learners’ scores compared with 2022, with gains of 17 points in science, 16 points in mathematics, and 20 points in reading. The Philippines also improved its standing among participating countries across the three assessed learning areas.
‘These gains show that progress is possible when reforms are sustained, institutions work together, and our teachers, schools, families, and communities receive the support they need,’ Acidre said.
However, Acidre cautioned that improved international rankings should not be viewed as the final measure of success. Instead, he said the results should strengthen efforts to address long-standing learning gaps, particularly those formed during the early years of education.
‘The child who struggles to read and understand today may become the college student who finds it difficult to keep up tomorrow. A learner who does not develop a strong foundation in mathematics and science will carry that disadvantage not only into higher education but eventually into work and daily life,’ Acidre said.
‘That is why education reform cannot begin only at the college gates,’ he added.
The lawmaker emphasized that improving basic education outcomes is essential to preparing Filipino learners for higher education, employment, and lifelong learning.
‘If we want Filipino students to enter college prepared, confident, and capable of succeeding, we must ensure that they receive the right support from the very beginning of their education,’ Acidre said.
He noted that this learner-centered approach has guided the work of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), which examines education as a continuous system connecting early childhood education, basic education, higher education, technical-vocational training, workforce development, and national economic growth.
According to Acidre, EDCOM II’s consultations and research have helped develop a more integrated reform agenda by recognizing that each stage of education directly influences the next.
‘The latest results should inspire confidence, but they should also remind us that much work remains. Progress must be protected, expanded, and transformed into lasting improvements that Filipino learners can experience inside every classroom,’ he said.
For Acidre, the ultimate measure of education reform is not only how the Philippines performs in global assessments but also how these improvements translate into the daily realities of learners.
Secure and supportive learning ecosystem
Education Secretary Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara emphasized that learner determination must be matched by a secure and supportive learning ecosystem.
‘Our learners have proven that they have the grit, curiosity, and drive to improve, as shown by our gains across all PISA domains. However, our children must also feel safe… While we take note that physical bullying reports are down compared to 2018, the PISA findings reinforce that cyberbullying is a serious challenge that requires a firm, direct response. Our guidelines establish clear due process, but online cruelty will not be tolerated. Safe digital spaces are non-negotiable for basic education,’ Angara emphasized.
Department of Education (DepEd) Order No. 6, series of 2026, expand school authority over off-campus online conduct if it creates a hostile environment, violates a learner’s rights, or disrupts school operations.
Severe cyberbullying, such as sharing degrading videos, circulating explicit content, or threatening learners and staff on social media, are classified as high-level offenses that trigger formal investigations and disciplinary actions ranging from suspension to non-readmission to full exclusion-dropping the learner from the school list into alternative education-along with potential legal liability.
DepEd is embedding digital citizenship, socio-emotional learning, and strengthened values education directly into the basic education curriculum, backed by several co-curricular activities.
In observance of Safer Internet Day, DepEd, in partnership with the Stairway Foundation Inc. (SFI), conducted classroom-based discussions on online risks and cyberbullying, reaching around 4.9 million participating learners.
Through its Kaagapay Program, DepEd empowers parents and parent substitutes to recognize online threats and discuss these sensitive topics with their children. Furthermore, schools are encouraging participation in sports, youth formation programs, such as sports clubs, learner government, school clubs, scouting, journalism, and the arts to channel their energies into more productive and meaningful pursuits.
Meanwhile, in line with efforts to protect schools from online threats, DepEd recently convened a high-level inter-agency meeting to establish a threat assessment and verification mechanism.
Joining forces with the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC), National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), Philippine National Police (PNP), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the initiative bridges the gap between school safety protocols and law enforcement digital forensics.
The proposed end-to-end operational framework standardizes every step of an incident, from initial threat reporting and evidence preservation to technical verification, protective action, and formal case closure.
Under the inter-agency protocol, cybercrime and law enforcement agencies will lead digital investigations, while schools maintain the authority to execute immediate, proportionate safety measures and learning continuity plans.