ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio has raised concerns over the Department of Education’s (DepEd) guidelines for the rollout of its Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, warning that the policy appears to contradict earlier assurances that the initiative would rely on hired tutors rather than regular public school teachers.

Tinio noted that the updated guidelines for the ARAL Program and the Summer Remediation Program, scheduled from May 6 to June 2, now allow DepEd teachers—including Master Teachers and highly proficient educators—to serve as tutors.

“During budget deliberations, DepEd repeatedly assured Congress and the public that ARAL would be implemented by hired tutors—not regular DepEd teachers,” Tinio said.

“But the new guidelines explicitly allow DepEd teachers to be deployed as ARAL tutors. That is a clear backtrack,” he added.

The lawmaker cautioned that involving regular teachers in the program could further strain an already overburdened workforce, citing large class sizes and heavy administrative responsibilities.

Tinio also pointed to implementation challenges that could undermine the program’s effectiveness, including limited time for orientation and training just days before rollout, as well as an expanded scope of duties for tutors beyond academic remediation.

“ARAL is meant to address learning gaps, but quality outcomes cannot be expected if preparation is rushed, responsibilities are expanded, and implementation is compressed,” he said, warning that the initiative risks becoming ineffective if not properly executed.

The ACT Teachers representative also called on the Department of Budget and Management and DepEd to ensure the full and transparent utilization of the ₱8.96 billion allocated for the program in 2026.

He stressed that the funding was intended to hire dedicated tutors, provide adequate learning materials, and ensure fair compensation for personnel involved.

“We pushed for sufficient funding precisely so DepEd can hire enough dedicated tutors, provide materials and training, and pay people properly,” Tinio said.

He further called for clear accounting of how the budget will be spent, including compensation for tutors and teachers, particularly for overtime and overload work where applicable.

Tinio added that non-monetary incentives such as service credits are not sufficient given the demands of remediation work, emphasizing that educators must receive proper salaries, benefits, and institutional support.