The Department of Education (DepEd) began distributing 231,725 new laptops to public school teachers nationwide on Monday including units delivered to staff at San Juan National High School in Ilocos Sur.
This initiative, part of the DepEd Computerization Program, aims to enhance digital learning, lesson preparation, and administrative productivity across the country.
Prioritizing First-Time Recipients
The current rollout focuses on teachers who have not previously received a government- or school-issued device.
“We want to ensure these laptops go to teachers who can maximize them most for teaching and learning, while keeping equity at the center by prioritizing teachers who have never received a government- or school-issued laptop. These guidelines set clear rules so schools can select recipients fairly and transparently,” said Education Secretary Sonny Angara.
Teachers who hold an active assignment and possess a DepEd email with multi-factor authentication enabled are eligible to receive the units. If a school’s priority list exceeds available units, school heads must conduct a witnessed drawing of lots manually or utilize the Teacher Assignment for Laptop Allocation (TALA) system to finalize the selection.
Procurement and Specifications
The department secured the MacBook Neo units at approximately ₱43,000 each through competitive public bidding, a price point reported to be ₱6,900 below the base model’s suggested retail price. Apple CEO John Ternus said that the agreement represents the company’s “largest education deal” for Mac computers.
Angara highlighted that the five-year warranty is a first for the department, intended to reduce long-term government spending on repairs and maintenance. DepEd reported that through competitive public bidding, it generated savings of at least ₱1.4 billion compared with standard retail prices.
Regional Distribution Based on Teacher Counts
Regional distribution varies based on teacher counts. In Eastern Visayas, for instance, 10,534 units were allocated across 13 schools division offices. Leyte received the largest share in that region with 3,030 units, followed by Northern Samar with 1,621 and Samar with 1,232. DepEd Regional Director Salustiano Jimenez said that the initiative aims to increase productivity and improve operational efficiency for educators in the region.
Angara said that teachers in geographically isolated and disadvantaged areas are also eligible, though the actual receipt of the devices may be contingent on local infrastructure. “If they do not have electricity, they will not be able to charge the computer. They may receive their laptops once their situation changes, as the government is also working on electrification and solarization of some schools,” Angara explained.
Budget Challenges for 2027
During a Palace briefing on November 10, 2026, Angara expressed concern over funding for the DepEd Computerization Program, stating, “Hopefully, mabigyan kami ng budget for this (we will be given a budget for this).”
The agency has requested ₱13 billion from the Senate to purchase over 267,000 laptops in 2027. This request follows a proposal in the House version of the budget that reduced the program’s allocation to ₱2.63 billion.
Angara said that if the lower amount is enacted, it would only cover licenses and email services for teachers rather than new hardware. He emphasized the need for sustainable procurement practices to avoid past issues: “We won’t repeat the mistakes of the past, where they separated the delivery from the procurement of the items.”
Deliveries of the remaining units are scheduled to continue through March 2027.
