THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday assured direct support for teachers serving as tutors in public schools under the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program.

The move is in line with the directive of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to safeguard the welfare of public school educators while advancing quality education.

In a statement, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said teachers rendering services under the agency’s remediation program, which focuses on Reading, Science, and Mathematics, will receive proper compensation.

“Sinisiguro natin na sa pagpapalawak ng ARAL Program, hindi ma-overburden ang ating mga guro — mananatili sa itinakdang limitasyon ang kanilang workload at mababayaran nang tama ang kanilang extra service,” he said.

Under the program, teachers serving as tutors during weekdays will be entitled to teaching overload pay, provided they exceed the prescribed six-hour actual classroom teaching load.

Those rendering tutoring services during weekends, holidays, and long vacation periods may earn Vacation Service Credits (VSCs), with one hour of service equivalent to 1.5 hours of VSC.

“Magiging matagumpay lang ang pagbabago sa ating sistema ng edukasyon kung sabay nating aalagaan ang ating mga mag-aaral at ang mga gurong gumagabay sa kanila,” Angara said.

To strengthen tutor support under the ARAL Program, nearly PHP2 billion has been earmarked for implementation.

The increased funding marks a significant expansion from the PHP150 million previously sourced through the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged Workers (TUPAD) Program and Government Internship Program (GIP).

Schools currently have access to PHP1.09 billion in existing ARAL funds, while an additional PHP1.77 billion is scheduled for release.

The funding will cover teaching and learning resources, session support materials such as flashcards and visual aids, as well as essential monitoring activities.

For 2026, the ARAL Program has been allocated a total budget of PHP8.94 billion, including more than PHP2.25 billion earmarked for learning materials.

While acknowledging that current funding remains insufficient to meet all program requirements, DepEd said it is maximizing available resources to address critical expenses and support schools.

To further ease pressure on school-level resources, the department is processing additional support funds to facilitate the training and prompt deployment of tutors.

DepEd is also set to launch an online platform within June to streamline the application, mobilization, and training of tutors, including qualified external professionals who can help augment school personnel.