THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) has completed the competitive bidding process for the procurement of 172,654 Apple MacBook Neo laptops for public school teachers and administrative personnel nationwide, marking a landmark investment in the country’s education technology program.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara underscored the importance of equipping teachers and school personnel with reliable technology, saying the initiative aims to ease the burden on educators who have long relied on personal resources or outdated equipment to perform their duties.

“For the longest time, our teachers have carried the heavy personal burden of buying their own laptops or maintaining outdated equipment just to keep up with lesson plans. Under the vision of President Marcos, we are changing the narrative,” Angara said.

“We welcome Apple’s participation in this procurement to bring MacBook Neo to our teachers. It isn’t just about handing out world-class hardware with five-year warranties; it’s about giving our educators the best tools, backed by robust training so they can focus on what matters most: teaching our children.”

The procurement also drew recognition from Apple, with Chief Executive Officer John Ternus describing the transaction as the company’s biggest-ever education deal for Mac.

During Apple’s Financial Results Conference Call for the fourth quarter of 2026 on Tuesday morning (Manila time), Ternus cited the Philippine government partnership as an example of the company’s growth opportunities in the education sector.

“I’m feeling great about the opportunities ahead for Apple, from our product roadmap and broad range of services to promising areas like health, emerging markets, enterprise, and education,” Ternus said.

“As one example, we recently secured our biggest education deal ever for Mac, with the Department of Education in the Philippines. They’re going to deploy 170,000 MacBook Neos to teachers and staff.”

Under the DepEd Computerization Program, the Department has so far awarded contracts for 231,725 teacher laptops nationwide, consisting of 169,008 MacBook Neo units and 62,717 Windows-based laptops.

Of the MacBook Neo units, 3,646 are intended for administrative officers, bringing the total procurement to 172,654 laptops. Deployment is scheduled from November 2026 to March 2027.

The procurement package includes a five-year warranty, a first for DepEd’s laptop acquisitions, compared with the standard one-year retail warranty. The extended coverage is expected to provide longer-term protection while securing a lower purchase price for the government.

The package also covers built-in productivity tools, delivery and logistics, and professional development for the recipients.

To help teachers integrate technology into their everyday classroom practice, DepEd is also collaborating with Apple to roll out GuroXL, a co-designed comprehensive training framework aimed at strengthening educators’ digital skills and maximizing the use of the new devices.