Jamayka Rhose Pascual

The Department of Education (DepEd) is advocating for the use of technology after secretary Sonny Angara met with the Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. (ACPI) to explore the application of animation and technology into basic education.

Photo Courtesy of ACPI/GMA Network.

According to the ACPI, incorporating animation into education can improve the retention and creativity of students and adults.

A recent Coursera Skill Report ranked the Philippines 99th out of 100 countries on technology, business, and data science skills, highlighting the urgency of applying technical knowledge and skills to basic education.

Angara emphasized that these technology initiatives are aligned with president Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos’ directives of using technology to improve the country's education quality.

Drawing insights from the 4th Philippine-Singapore Business and Investment Summit, he shared that the DepEd is also aiming to incorporate coding into the curriculum.

“We are working to incorporate coding into our curriculum and are utilizing educational technology, such as analytics, to assess learners in on administrative tasks, ultimately improving the quality of education,” he said in a speech.

Angara added that this idea will prepare Filipino students with the skills needed to improve in a fast-paced global economy, developing a skilled and adaptable workforce.

“We are envisioning a more creative and innovative Filipino learner, which will be a significant boost to industry,” he stated.

Angara also said that these initiatives could improve Filipino workers’ skills in attracting investors and would make the country more competitive in the global market.

“There’s a leap of faith involved in investing in the Philippines but there’s also a lot of pleasant surprises so I think one of the pleasant surprises is that the Filipino worker who is immensely adaptable and a quick learner so I think that’s something we could all benefit from,” he said.