It is said to be largest gathering of education leaders in the world.
At the recently concluded Education World Forum (EWF), which held in London from May 17 to 20, 2026, the Department of Education (DepEd) promoted the strengthening of global initiatives and regional cooperation for Foundational Learning.
Founded in 2002, the Education World Forum, it provides an international platform for official delegations to address systemic challenges, share knowledge, and discuss critical issues ranging from technology integration and equitable access, to the role of quality learning in advancing global socio-economic development.
Among those presented are the expansion of the School-Based Feeding Program for all Kindergarten and Grade 1 students nationwide this coming June, the distribution of storybooks to be taken home by Kindergarten to Grade 3 students, and the continued academic gains through the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) program which is now a law.
Participating in two high-level meetings with education leaders from around the world and Southeast Asia, the Philippine delegation shared important reports on the national strategy for comprehensive learning recovery and learning development in the country.
These measures were outlined under a comprehensive 5-Point Reform Agenda that focuses on learning recovery, teacher support, effective governance, workforce readiness, and innovative education.
DepEd highlighted its achievements in building a complete learning ecosystem.
During the discussions, DepEd received special recognition from its international counterparts for the large funding allocated by the Philippine government for the education sector, which reached the equivalent of 4% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
DepEd Undersecretary and Chief of Staff, Atty. Fatima Lipp Panontongan, who is a member of the Philippine delegation to this year’s EWF, noted: “We recognized early on that educational decline cannot be solved through isolated projects or short-term campaigns. It requires structural reforms that strengthen how schools function, how teachers are supported, and how systems deliver results.”
Also included in the delegation were Undersecretary for Learning Systems Dr. Carmela Oracion, and Undersecretary for Planning, E-CAIR, and PQF Secretariat Rafaelita Aldaba.
In line with international cooperation, the delegation also shared important steps in two major regional structures that aim to elevate basic education throughout Southeast Asia.
First, the formulation of the ASEAN Leaders’ Declaration on Foundational Learning (ADFL) — a key policy led by DepEd in support of the Philippines’ Chairship in ASEAN, fulfilling Angara’s strategic commitment in the 2025 Forum.
In addition, DepEd also discussed its active participation in the upcoming ASEAN Work Plan on Education 2026–2030, of which the ASEAN Academic Recovery and Catch-up Program (ASEAN ARC-UP) is ap part of.
The said program will serve as a joint mechanism in the region to promote collective solutions for learning recovery among member countries.
The Philippines aims to support this collaboration by proposing to expand effective education strategies throughout the region.
“We believe learning recovery is now a shared regional responsibility that requires collective solutions,” said Panontongan. “The education challenges confronting our generation are complex, but they are not irreversible. Reform requires political will, sustained investment, and collective action from governments, educators, communities, and international partners.”