Senator Win Gatchalian has called on the Department of Education (DepEd) to ensure the availability of enough tutors for the implementation of the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program ahead of the opening of classes on June 8.
The 2026 national budget allocated ₱8.9 billion for the ARAL Program, which is expected to benefit 6.7 million learners in Reading and 8.08 million learners in Mathematics. The funding also aims to support the engagement of around 440,000 tutors nationwide.
Gatchalian’s appeal came after the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) raised concerns over delays in the hiring of ARAL tutors. Among the issues identified were delays in the release of guidelines and funding for external tutors, resulting in greater reliance on volunteer tutors.
EDCOM II also noted the non-implementation of the ARAL Summer Program in some grade levels due to the lack of available volunteers.
The senator emphasized that allocating funds alone is not enough to ensure the program’s success, stressing the need to have sufficient and well-prepared tutors in place as they play a crucial role in helping learners recover from educational setbacks.
The ARAL Program is one of the government’s key initiatives aimed at addressing learning gaps and improving student performance in foundational subjects such as Reading and Mathematics.
