DepEd TV set for soft launch as Angara advances more EdTech platforms

By The Manila Times

THE Department of Education (DepEd) is set to soft-launch DepEd TV through a partnership with Knowledge Channel Foundation Inc. (KCFI) and Solar Learning, expanding the agency’s broadcast-based learning platforms in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s and Secretary Sonny Angara’s push for wider, more equitable access to 21st century education. 

The collaboration will air curriculum-aligned DepEd TV content through Knowledge Channel’s on-air, online and offline platforms, supported by Solar’s broadcast infrastructure. These channels span broadcast distribution through cable, direct-to-home satellite and digital terrestrial television. They also include digital learning resources and platforms as well as offline solutions such as school-based TV packages and portable media libraries that allow teachers to integrate video lessons into daily instruction even without internet access.

KCFI will support DepEd in packaging and programming curriculum-aligned episodes for broadcast for school use, including offline deployment options for low connectivity communities. Education Secretary Angara said the collaboration strengthens DepEd’s effort to modernize instructional delivery while staying true to the administration’s learning recovery efforts.

“Kung mas marami tayong paraan para makarating ang dekalidad na aral sa bawat tahanan at paaralan, mas malapit tayo sa pangarap ng Bagong Pilipinas (The more ways we have to bring quality education into every home and school, the closer we come to the dream of a New Philippines). DepEd TV will help us close learning gaps by bringing structured, curriculum-based lessons directly to our students,” Angara said.

Rina Lopez, president and co-founder of KCFI, said: “Knowledge Channel is committed to helping DepEd bring structured lessons closer to learners, teachers and families, especially in areas where connectivity remains a barrier.”

DepEd TV’s soft launch will introduce a daily programming schedule that features lessons from Early Childhood Development for kids to Grade 10, organized into structured blocks across major learning areas. The planned broadcast grid for School Year 2025–2026 presents sequenced episodes in English, Filipino, Math, Science, Araling Panlipunan and Mapeh, allowing learners to follow a predictable and standardized televised curriculum.  

“Malaking tulong din ang mga programang ito upang mapalakas ang pagtuturo at pag-aaral sa pagbasa at pagbilang, lalong-lalo na ang mga nasa Kinder at Grades 1 to 3 (These programs greatly help enhance the teaching and learning of reading and numeracy, especially among learners in Kinder and Grades 1 to 3),” added Angara, who noted that it will also feature Early Childhood Series for Parents and Teachers during the weekends.

For Knowledge Channel, the programming will have 16 hours of programming from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. in SkyCable Channel 5 (Metro Manila) and SkyTV Channel 32 (Provincial), Cablelink Channel 3 (Metro Manila), and Philippine Cable and Telecommunications Association (PCTA)-affiliated cable operators. For Direct-to-Home setup, it will be available in Cignal (Channel 146), and Satlite (Channel 182). The TV lessons that can be viewed in households also ensure that learning continues even when face-to-face classes are suspended. These programs can likewise be accessed by learners staying in evacuation centers, especially during times when they cannot immediately return to their homes and schools.

DepEd noted that the technical plan includes simulcast broadcast, delayed telecasts and satellite feed integration to ensure broad reach and consistent programming, as indicated in the technical framework developed with Knowledge Channel and Solar Learning. Initial coverage through Solar Learning includes NCR and key provinces in Luzon with expansion expected as the system undergoes phased testing and quality checks.

The soft launch will allow DepEd to evaluate broadcast performance, assess regional accessibility and coordinate with field offices before announcing the nationwide rollout. The agency will release the full implementation schedule after technical and content deployment tests are completed.