Bangkok, November 2025 - The Philippines convened its 2nd SEA-PLM Country-Level Strategic Workshop and National Steering Committee (NSC) meeting to advance Initiative 2: Evidence-to-Policy Linkages, a regional effort designed to translate SEA-PLM data into actionable education reforms. The workshop is part of a continuing series sustaining country engagement following the 2024 main survey and preparing stakeholders for upcoming regional milestones. The workshop was made possible with the generous support of the ASEAN-UK SAGE programme. 

The two-day workshop pursued four key objectives: to review and finalize national action plans and interventions under Initiative 2; to strengthen collaboration on SEA-PLM 2024, including the System-Level Questionnaire (SLQ); to convene the NSC for consideration of results and implications; and to align on forthcoming activities such as the regional report launch and related policy recommendations. Technical sessions were complemented by policy discussions through the NSC to ensure coherent strategies from the classroom to the system level.

System-level insights and Curriculum alignments.  The SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat presented the System-Level Questionnaire (SLQ) modules implemented in the 2024 survey, showcasing sample contextual indicators. Discussions focused on interpreting measures such as pre-primary and primary “life expectancy,” assessing instructional exposure (including shadow education), and aligning ILSA frameworks with the K–12 curriculum. The Bureau of Curriculum Development was invited to share its curriculum mapping paper to support these efforts.

DepEd officers outlined the newly enacted ARAL Law, which mandates daily literacy and numeracy sessions of 30–45 minutes, supported by teacher upskilling and adjusted workloads. Updates were also shared on the developments of language policy within the Department.

(Left to right) Ms Gretchen Cordero, Dr Kevin Carl Santos From Department of Education Philippines, Mr Alejandro Ibanez from SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat, Ms Linda Jönsson from UNICEF EAPRO

The National Steering Committee was formally recognized as an advisory body to DepEd on ILSA analysis, technical guidance, and evidence-based decision-making. Members underscored the importance of close coordination with technical working groups to ensure that SEA-PLM data informs classroom practice.

Priority follow-up analyses identified include a 2026 Language Policy Brief, learning-loss metrics, and deeper studies on the effects of early childhood education (ECCE) and socio-economic status (SES) on learning outcomes. The NSC also proposed developing a learner profile for “Type 2” low-performing students to guide targeted interventions. In addition, the committee agreed to channel SEA-PLM 2024 results into EDCOM2’s Year 3 report, following an agreed process that upholds embargo rules.

Participants reviewed regional trends from 2019 to 2024, methodological updates, and population-coverage variance, committing to further analysis using administrative and EMIS data. They noted stagnation among students in the lowest reading proficiency band and highlighted the need for enhanced support for emergent readers. The group also discussed the suitability of Band 6 thresholds for SDG reporting and proposed stronger alignment between SEA-PLM reporting and SDG 4 indicators.

Teacher, parent, and student with representative of DepEd, SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat, and UNICEF EAPRO at the Santolan Elementary School

To conclude the programme, representatives from DepEd, the SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat, and UNICEF EAPRO visited Santolan Elementary School to observe classroom practices and hear from teachers, parents, and students about strengthening foundational literacy and numeracy.

The meeting ended with consensus to convene the next NSC session—beginning with the PISA Committee—to seek guidance on the national report, finalize the Initiative 2 project proposal, and organize a joint discussion among EDCOM2, the national team, and the Regional Secretariat on integrating SEA-PLM findings into EDCOM2’s ongoing policy review.

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SEA-PLM is supported by the UK Mission to ASEAN under the ASEAN-UK Supporting the Advancement of Girls’s Education (SAGE) Programme. Its content is the sole responsibility of the SEA-PLM Regional Secretariat and does not necessarily reflect the views of ASEAN-UK SAGE.