What DepEd announced

The National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP) issued an advisory dated 16 September 2026.

It sets guidelines for testing a Developing AI Literacy curriculum for Grades 5 to 8 in real classes.

NEAP works on it with the University of the Philippines National Institute for Science and Mathematics Education Development (UP NISMED).

DepEd’s National Capital Region office forwarded the advisory, and the Muntinlupa division office posted it on 21 September.

How the pilot works

Teachers were trained at UP NISMED from 8 to 12 September 2026.

They teach five core AI literacy lessons during an eight-week Second Term, from 28 September to 20 November.

Each trained teacher uses one pilot class.

Each regional office endorses one school with two teachers.

Lessons can be face-to-face, online or blended, depending on the school’s conditions.

Teachers must get written consent from parents or guardians where it is required.

How learners are assessed

The advisory says no separate numerical grades will be given for the pilot.

Learner progress is judged by finishing the five core modules.

Which grades and regions

Grades 5 and 6: Regions I, III, IV-B, VI, VIII, X, XII, the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and the Negros Island Region (NIR).

Grades 7 and 8: Regions II, IV-A, V, VII, IX, XI, Caraga and the National Capital Region (NCR).

Why it matters in the Philippines

The advisory points to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), which will test Media and AI Literacy in its PISA 2029 student assessment.

The pilot shows what AI lessons for Grades 5 to 8 may look like before any wider rollout.

Parents can see the limits too: consent where required, no extra grade, and room to adapt to devices and connectivity.

What this does not mean yet

This is a pilot in about one school per region. It is not a new subject in every school.

The advisory gives no national rollout date. It says results will inform possible scaling.

The five lessons are not public, so this story does not describe their content.

What to watch next

  • The second coaching session on 12 November and the end of the pilot on 20 November.
  • Documentation is due on 27 November. Watch for any DepEd report on the results.
  • If your child is in a pilot class, ask the school how the lessons are run and how consent is handled.

Put this into practice

New to AI, or want to check a story like this yourself? Start with these two guides.

Sources & further reading

Source note. The linked sources support the news in this article. The explanations and suggested next steps are from Pinoy AI Works.