SENATOR Sherwin Gatchalian on Tuesday expressed full support for the Department of Education’s rollout of the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, calling it a crucial step in addressing the country’s deepening education crisis.

Gatchalian, principal author and sponsor of the ARAL Program Act, said the initiative aims to strengthen students’ foundational skills in literacy and numeracy—areas that saw major setbacks during the pandemic and prolonged distance learning.

“I welcome the DepEd’s rollout of this much-needed intervention. Through this program, we can reinforce foundational learning, especially in reading and math,” he said.

The ARAL Program targets academically struggling learners, offering tutoring, remedial instruction, and other interventions for students from Kindergarten to Grade 10, as well as selected Senior High School learners.

As Senate Committee on Finance chair, Gatchalian vowed to work closely with DepEd to secure full funding for the program.

“We will coordinate with DepEd to ensure the program gets the necessary funding for proper implementation,” he said.

Gatchalian has long advocated for strategic investments in education recovery, warning that failure to address learning losses could undermine the country’s future workforce and competitiveness.