DepEd allocates ₱2.28-B innovation fund to boost literacy and numeracy in public schools

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THE Department of Education (DepEd) has allocated ₱2,289,250,000 under the School Innovation and Improvement Fund (SIIF) for Fiscal Year 2026, delivering direct financial support to non-implementing public schools to strengthen localized literacy and numeracy programs.

Authorized under the 2026 General Appropriations Act (Republic Act No. 12314), the SIIF advances decentralization across basic education.

The initiative grants local school administrators greater fiscal autonomy to plan and execute targeted learning interventions tailored to their specific needs.

“Real progress in basic education happens where our learners and teachers interact every day, right inside the classroom. In line with President Bongbong Marcos’ commitment to tackle learning poverty head-on, we are making sure our ground-level educators have direct access to resources without unneeded administrative friction,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said. “By downloading these funds straight to our schools, we empower them to implement practical, localized solutions to build strong reading and math foundations for every Filipino child.”

First established under DepEd Memorandum No. 073, s. 2025, and anchored on the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001 (Republic Act No. 9155), the fund originally targeted 4,043 non-implementing elementary and junior high schools in 4th- and 5th-class municipalities.

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The pilot phase achieved an 84 percent fund utilization rate, supporting remediation and enrichment programs for over 405,000 students nationwide.

Under the expanded guidelines detailed in DepEd Memorandum No. 048, s. 2026, eligible senior high schools are now included alongside elementary and junior high institutions.

To expedite distribution, recipient schools will receive predetermined allocations directly without submitting prior funding proposals.

The funding formula prioritizes lower-income municipalities and higher student populations. Each recipient school will receive a baseline allocation of at least ₱50,000, with larger amounts directed toward institutions in 3rd-, 4th-, and 5th-class municipalities.

To maintain strict administrative oversight while preventing operational delays, school heads will submit quarterly progress reports via the digital InsightED Application’s monitoring system.

DepEd Regional and Division offices will provide ongoing technical assistance throughout implementation.

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