In a bid to scale up private sector participation and address resource gaps in basic education, the Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday rolled out its new Adopt-A-School Program (ASP) Platform during the Visayas leg of its nationwide ASP roadshow.
The new digital gateway streamlines how corporate sponsors, civic groups, and private donors invest in public basic education—offering transparent project matching, streamlined donation tracking, and direct access to tax incentives under Republic Act No. 8525 or the Adopt-A-School Act of 1998 and Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) regulations.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized that bridging critical resource gaps requires an active, transparent collaboration between government and private partners.
“Marami sa ating mga kababayan at sa private sector ang gustong tumulong sa ating mga paaralan at mga mag-aaral. Ang kailangan lang natin ay bigyan sila ng mas mabilis at mas malinaw na sistema para maging kabahagi ng pagbabago,” Secretary Angara said.
“Under the leadership of President Bongbong Marcos, we are turning goodwill into concrete investments—building more classrooms, empowering our teachers, and ensuring equitable access for every learner.”
During the launch of the ASP Platform, DepEd showcased its expanded ASP Menu of Investments, designed to align partner support directly with the Department’s 5-Point Reform Agenda to improve learning outcomes and the recommendations of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).
The menu outlines specific priority areas for private funding, including classroom and learning space infrastructure, safe schools initiatives, and work immersion programs for senior high school learners.
Partner agencies including the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) also presented their respective investment menus to encourage cross-sector collaboration.
Following the Visayas kickoff, the 2026 ASP caravan will travel to Mindanao and Luzon to mobilize business leaders, civic groups, and local stakeholders across the country.
The Visayas caravan highlighted a whole-of-government approach, bringing together leaders and representatives from key national agencies and local government units, alongside private institutions, corporate foundations, non-government organizations, academe, cooperatives and civic organizations.
DepEd currently counts 192 active partner organizations supporting nationwide interventions.
With the rollout of the new ASP microsite and the start of the nationwide caravan, DepEd invites more private companies, non-profit organizations, and civil society organizations to explore priority investment areas and join the movement to elevate public basic education across the country.
