The Department of Education (DepEd) and Microsoft are expanding the use of artificial intelligence in Philippine public schools, with the technology company set to provide 1 million teachers access to Microsoft Copilot.
The AI assistant is intended to help teachers prepare lesson plans and assessments, draft communications, summarize student progress, and reduce administrative work.
“Our learners deserve an education system that is ready for the future. Through our partnership with Microsoft, we are bringing AI tools to one million Filipino teachers to help them save time, engage learners better, and strengthen teaching in the classroom. More importantly, this partnership will help us support learning recovery and prepare every Filipino child for an AI-driven world,” DepEd secretary Sonny Angara said.
The expanded partnership follows a nationwide training program launched earlier in 2026 to teach educators how to use Copilot Chat in classroom and administrative tasks.
Microsoft said the main training event drew nearly 75,000 live participants, while more than 175,000 educators registered for the program. The National Educators’ Academy of the Philippines subsequently extended it through asynchronous training for registered participants.
The sessions cover the use of AI to develop curriculum-aligned lesson plans and assessments, draft communications, and summarize student performance. They also include responsible-use safeguards intended to position AI as an aid rather than a replacement for teachers’ professional judgment.
“Technology at its best serves a clear purpose. It helps us see more, respond faster, and use our time more wisely. When technology helps reduce administrative burden, it gives teachers more space to guide, encourage, and intervene in ways that are thoughtful and human,” DepEd undersecretary for information and communications technology Marcelino Veloso III said.
Microsoft is also supplying Reading Progress and Reading Coach under DepEd’s Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning Program. The tools analyze oral-reading submissions and provide teachers with data on word recognition, omissions, mispronunciations, and reading pace.
According to Microsoft, a 21-week pilot covered 3,431 students in eight regions, processed 8,381 reading submissions, and trained more than 2,100 teachers.
Of the students reassessed during the pilot, 780 showed improvement. This included 319 students who advanced to a higher Philippine Informal Reading Inventory band and 461 who improved while remaining within their existing band.
The company reported a teacher satisfaction rate of 91.5%, but the release did not disclose the number of teachers surveyed or provide a control-group comparison for the student results.
The AI initiatives will be layered onto DepEd’s existing investments in Internet connectivity, ICT equipment, smart classrooms, and devices for teachers. They are also expected to support the department’s learning-recovery and teacher-development programs.
“At Microsoft, our mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. In the Philippines, there is no more important place to bring that mission to life than in education,” Microsoft Asean president Mayank Wadhwa said.
“By working with DepEd to put Microsoft Copilot in the hands of one million public school teachers, we have an opportunity to help educators save time, strengthen learning, and prepare young Filipinos for a future where AI will be part of every industry and every career. We are grateful for DepEd’s continued trust and committed to helping build an education system where every teacher and learner can thrive in the AI era.”
