To our respected principal, Dr. Natividad V.
Nacino, our Master Teachers, and
my fellow teachers, Good afternoon. My task is to share with you the
recapitulation of the recently conducted school-based orientation on the
implementation of the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL)
Program last September 8, 2025
The school-based orientation on the implementation of the Academic
Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program was conducted at the
Maligaya Elementary School Library. The program formally began at 12:54
PM with the preliminary activities. The opening started with a solemn
doxology led by Ma’am Cristy G. Pedronan, followed by the singing of the
Philippine National Anthem. To energize the participants, Ma’am Kimberly
Bonayon facilitated an energizer activity, after which Ma’am Mary Jane D.
Reyes proceeded with the checking of attendance.
The program proper commenced with the welcome remarks of Ma’am Joy
Ayuban, Master Teacher. In her message, she highlighted the significance of
the two-day training on the ARAL Program and stressed the importance of
strengthening reading skills among learners. She encouraged teachers to
provide constant opportunities for pupils to practice reading, with her
reminder to “laging magturo at magpabasa.”
Seminar Proper
For the seminar proper, Dr. Natividad V. Nacino, school principal, discussed
the rationale and program guide of ARAL. She explained that the program
was carefully designed by the government in coordination with the
Department of Education as a unified initiative to be implemented
nationwide. ARAL is a national program with a clear structure and objectives.
Dr. Nacino clarified that while the ARAL Program does not depart from what
teachers have long been practicing in reading instruction, it provides a
standardized and unified approach to ensure consistency across the country.
The teacher-led remediation program will run for nine weeks. After this
period, a mid-year assessment will be conducted to identify learners who are
still struggling, especially those who remain non-readers and are at risk of
failure. These learners will then be included in the ARAL Program for further
intervention.
During the assessment, if a learner is still unable to read, they will
automatically be referred to ARAL.
Dr. Natividad V. Nacino highlighted that one of the strongest foundations to
present to parents is Republic Act 12028, or the ARAL Program of 2024. This
establishes a free and effective national learning intervention program to
support learners who are struggling, particularly in reading, mathematics,
and science, so they can achieve the competencies set by DepEd for their
grade levels.
The program is evidence-based, as data from DepEd shows an increasing
number of learners, especially in the NCR, who are still unable to read.
To strengthen the effort, DepEd Order No. 18, s. 2025 was released, which
serves as the implementing guidelines on Academic Recovery and Accessible
Learning. With this, all previous orders and memoranda related to learning
recovery are repealed, meaning they will no longer be used. These include:
DepEd Order No. 45, s. 2002 (Reading Literacy Program in Elementary
Schools)
DepEd Order No. 13, s. 2023 adoption of National Learning Program
DepEd Memorandum No. 001, s. 2024 (implementation of Catch-Up
Fridays)
These old directives are replaced by the new ARAL guidelines under DepEd
Order 18, s. 2025.
As she ended her talk, Dr. Natividad V. Nacino left an important reminder to
all teachers:
“The ARAL Program complements, rather than replaces, the daily teaching-
learning process.”
She stressed that the ARAL Program is not a substitute for the regular
teaching-learning activities. The primary duty of teachers remains to provide
quality daily instruction. However, when learners encounter significant
difficulties—particularly those who are still non-readers (bulag)—the ARAL
Program serves as the intervention to provide them with focused support.
Before closing her talk, Dr. Nacino expressed her gratitude in advance to the
teachers who would attend the live-in seminar and asked them to provide
updates on the discussions from that training.
Next is Presentation of the ARAL Framework
Ma’am Joy Ayuban explained that the program’s beneficiaries are learners
performing below minimum proficiency levels in reading and mathematics,
though the current focus will be on reading. The BOSY (Beginning of School
Year) Assessments—including CRLA, diagnostic tests, Phil-IRI, and RMA for
Mathematics—will serve as tools to determine learners who require
intervention.
The program cycle consists of:
Nine weeks of teacher-led remediation
A midyear assessment to evaluate progress
Exit from the program for learners who meet grade-level standards
Continuation in the ARAL Program for those still behind
An End-of-School-Year (EOSY) assessment
ARAL Summer Program for learners who need further support.
Moreover, the Learner Information System (LIS) will be used to tag learners
and monitor improvements throughout the program.
The seminar formally ended at 3:26 PM, marking the conclusion of a
productive session that deepened the teachers’ understanding of the ARAL
Program and its implementation.