The Department of Education (DepEd) has launched the Education Center for AI Research (E-CAIR), an initiative designed to drive innovation in Philippine education through AI-powered solutions aligned with its 5-Point Reform Agenda.
Building on the groundwork laid by the Center for AI Research (CAIR) in 2024, E-CAIR will enhance, expand, and deepen AI-driven advancements in the education sector. As the country’s first dedicated AI research hub for education, it aims to modernize basic education by developing AI-driven tools to improve teaching, learning, and school administration. This initiative aligns with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s vision of leveraging technology to provide Filipino students with globally competitive education.
Photo courtesy: DepEd Philippines
E-CAIR is set to collaborate with national and local government agencies, as well as private sector partners, to implement AI solutions that will transform education governance and support economic growth. The center will also utilize data-driven mapping under the Adopt-A-School Program to identify infrastructure needs and optimize resource distribution. Additionally, it will assist in generating computer-based examination results and refining the qualification system for the National Qualifying Examination for School Heads (NQESH).
Already making an impact, E-CAIR has launched AI solutions for nationwide education reforms, including optimizing education voucher distribution, using computer vision to assess malnutrition in students, improving the detection of learners with disabilities, mapping natural hazards affecting schools, strengthening public-private partnerships, and enhancing school leadership competencies.
Through its partnership with the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO), DepEd aims to position the Philippines as a leading AI education hub in Southeast Asia, pioneering AI-driven solutions to address regional education challenges.
“We are not embracing AI just to be ‘tech-savvy.’ We are here to use AI as a tool for real, lasting reforms. This is the essence of the President’s Bagong Pilipinas,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara stated in his keynote speech.
Photo courtesy: Pexels
The launch event was attended by key leaders from both the public and private sectors, including Senate Committee on Basic Education Chairperson Sen. Win Gatchalian, House Committee on Basic Education and Culture Chairperson Rep. Roman Romulo, TESDA Director-General Jose Francisco Benitez, and DICT Secretary Ivan John Uy.
