Angara leads AI-driven P1-B Library Hubs rollout to boost literacy

 

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

MAKATI CITY, 16 April 2026—The Department of Education (DepEd) will use an artificial intelligence (AI) tool to guide PhP1-billion in investments for Library Hubs, ensuring the program reaches the schools and learners that need them the most. 

The Education Center for AI Research (ECAIR), DepEd’s AI and innovation hub, developed a resource allocation tool that will pinpoint school locations where learners need to improve reading proficiency. This will allow the department to strategically place Library Hubs funded under the 2026 Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEFF).

The initiative aligns with DepEd’s 5-point agenda which seeks to address the country's urgent literacy gaps through evidence-based reforms.

"Data-driven policymaking is central to the education reforms we envision. Initiatives like this demonstrate how data science can help DepEd make smarter investments—ensuring that resources reach the schools and learners that need them the most," Secretary Sonny Angara said. 

The project comes in response to the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) findings, which highlighted the need for equitable resource distribution.

By crunching national education and administrative datasets, the algorithm identifies candidate schools based on learning needs, expected utilization, and equity considerations. 

This move departs from traditional and often arbitrary allocation methods that have historically slowed down literacy improvements in the regions.

Undersecretary for Learning Systems Strand Carmela Oracion underscored that school libraries and library hubs are critical platforms for fostering a national reading culture. 

"By working with ECAIR to incorporate data into planning and prioritization, we can ensure that our investments better support learners in our schools," Usec. Oracion said.

"Education systems generate vast amounts of data, but the challenge is turning that data into actionable insights," explained Dr. Erika Legara, ECAIR Managing Director and Chief AI and Data Officer. She emphasized that such technology ensures large-scale public investments will deliver the greatest learning impact possible.

DepEd Library Hubs serve as warehouse libraries that provide public schools with easy access to a vast collection of high-quality supplementary reading materials to improve functional literacy. 

These hubs act as central repositories where public school teachers can borrow books and educational resources in bulk for their students, typically for 25 to 30 days.

Looking ahead, ECAIR and BLR plan to further develop the tool to guide DepEd in identifying future investments in supplementary instructional materials in order to deliver the greatest possible learning gains

Warning Out on Pakistan-Made Facial Cream with Mercury that Promises Instant Skin Glow

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

(EcoWaste Coalition welcomes crackdown on cosmetic quality and safety violators by the Government of Pakistan)

16 April 2026, Quezon City. The toxics watchdog group EcoWaste Coalition flagged the online sale of another skin lightening product from Pakistan that promises “instant skin glow for luminous and radiant complexion.” The group warned that the product contains mercury, a highly hazardous chemical banned in cosmetics as per the Minamata Convention on Mercury.

Purchased by the group through Shopee for P200, the newly-made Parley 24K Gold Gleam Beauty Cream produced on March 2, 2026, screened positive for mercury and arsenic at 939 and 55 parts per million (ppm), respectively, based on the X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) screening conducted. Arsenic and mercury are nowhere to be found in the product’s list of ingredients.

The product deceptively carries the Pakistan Standards Quality Mark, which is supposedly to indicate conformity to established standards, specifically Pakistan Standard Specification No. 3228:2025 on safety limits for cosmetics.

Incidentally, the product is among the six beauty creams whose licenses were recently suspended by the Pakistan Standards and Quality Control Authority (PSQCA) for failing to “meet the required safety and quality specifications, with concerns linked to mercury, arsenic, and microbiological contamination,” as tested by the Pakistan Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (PCSIR).

“We urge online consumers to be extra cautious when buying skin lightening products as some of them may contain mercury and other hazardous substances, which pose a real danger to users and to their families, as others can be exposed through contaminated items and vapors,” said Aileen Lucero, National Coordinator, EcoWaste Coalition. “We demand that e-commerce and social media platforms take down illegal product listings for such dangerous products.“

“We hope the PSQCA-led crackdown on toxic beauty creams in Pakistan intensifies until the local manufacturing and global trade of these dangerous products are permanently halted,” she added.

Aside from Parley, the PSQCA also suspended the licenses of Goree Beauty Cream, Face Fresh Beauty Cream, and Golden Pearl Beauty Cream, which can be easily obtained in online or physical stores. On the occasion of World Health Day last April 7, the EcoWaste Coalition reported detecting high levels of mercury in these three products measured at 27,600 ppm, 20,510 ppm, and 17,580 ppm, respectively.

According to the Pakistani authorities, “these substances pose serious health risks and can lead to skin damage and other medical complications.”

Parley 24K Gold Gleam Beauty Cream, as stated on the label, has “added gold dust and natural anti-oxidants,” claiming it “not only brightens the skin tone, it also makes you feel younger and beautiful.”

Despite the health risks, the product claims it has “no side effects.” Consumers are even told they “can use it regularly for a long time to keep skin fair and lovely.”

The EcoWaste Coalition again reminded consumers not to be deceived by such claims and promises. Instead, the group called for the rejection of chemical whiteners and the acceptance of natural skin tone, noting there is beauty in all skin colors.

OFWs’ journey home leads to teaching once more as DepEd expands reintegration fair

Wazzup Pilipinas!? 

TACLOBAN CITY, 15 April 2026—To honor overseas teachers who return to their calling in the country, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Wednesday officially launched the nationwide expansion of reintegration services to bring displaced overseas Filipino educators back into the local workforce.

This effort is headlined by the Balik Turo: A Hero’s Journey Way Home initiative, a featured segment of the whole-of-government Bayanihan para sa Balikbayang Manggagawa National Reintegration Network (NRN) Regional Fairs held at Department of Education (DepEd) venues across the country.

“Ang direktiba ni Pangulong Marcos ay tiyaking may naghihintay na maayos na trabaho para sa ating mga gurong nagbabalik-bayan upang hindi na nila kailangang muling mawalay sa kanilang mga pamilya,” Secretary Angara said.

“Sa pamamagitan ng programang ito, binibigyan natin ng boses at pagkakataon ang ating mga bagong bayani na maglingkod muli sa ating mga silid-aralan,” he added.

During the kick-off at the Leyte National High School Gymnasium, the Balik Turo program featured teachers from the Sa ‘Pinas, Ikaw ang Ma’am at Sir (SPIMS) Program who shared moving testimonials regarding their successful transition from overseas employment to positions in public schools.

These educators expressed their gratitude for being allowed to continue their teaching vocation within their own communities while being reunited with their families through the SPIMS Program.

“Masaya po ako sa ganitong programa kasi malaking tulong ito para sa mga guro na mga OFW na gusto nang bumalik sa Pilipinas at manilbihan bilang isang guro ulit,” said Evan Jose P. De Veyra, who taught in Thailand for 17 years and now serves as Teacher I at Alangalang National High School in Leyte.

“Nothing compares with teaching your own countrymen at ang magkatrabaho po na malapit sa pamilya ay napakasarap na feeling. I am very grateful to our government for supporting us,” said George Michael Celiz who now teaches at Julio Mapa Elementary School in Talisay City.

Since its inception in 2014, the SPIMS program—a collaborative effort with the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW)—has successfully integrated 11,056 OFW teachers into the DepEd system.

The nationwide expansion of the NRN Fairs and Balik Turo program follows the successful pilot in Quezon City on April 4, reflecting President Marcos’ priority to ensure the safety and economic security of over 5,000 OFWs and their dependents recently repatriated from high-risk areas in the Middle East.

Throughout the week-long NRN Regional Fairs, DepEd is providing essential services including a dedicated SPIMS Help Desk and on-site registration for Accreditation and Equivalency (A&E) tests.

Families of OFWs can also access Philippine Educational Placement Test (PEPT) registration and Senior High School voucher program support to ensure the uninterrupted schooling of their children.



To further professional growth, DepEd through the Teacher Education Council is offering scholarships in priority programs, alongside sponsorships for board exam review classes and professional licensing fees.