The Department of Education (DepEd) kicked off its nationwide distribution of over 231,700 laptops on Monday, November 9, with the initial rollout taking place in Dagupan City.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos, and Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara led the ceremonial turnover at the Dagupan City National High School, where 10 local schools received a combined total of 209 Apple MacBook Neo laptops.
The nationwide distribution is part of the DepEd Computerization Program. Out of the 231,725 laptops awarded so far, 169,008 are MacBook Neo units, 62,717 are Windows-based laptops, and an additional 3,646 MacBook Neo devices are designated for administrative officers.
The procurement marks a milestone for the agency, with Apple reportedly recognizing the deal as its largest education agreement ever for its MacBook line. Each MacBook Neo unit was acquired for ₱43,000—₱6,900 below the local retail price—and includes an extended five-year warranty instead of the standard one year.
Highlighting the impact of the rollout, DepEd noted that the Dagupan City National High School previously relied on only four official laptops to support its teachers while serving a student population of roughly 5,000.
Angara emphasized that providing upgraded equipment aims to streamline educators’ administrative tasks so they can concentrate on instruction.
”Sa ilalim ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Bongbong Marcos, gusto nating ibigay sa ating mga guro ang pinakamahusay na tools at tamang training para mapadali ang paggawa nila ng lesson plans o reports at mas makapag-focus sila sa pagtuturo,” Angara said.
”Kapag namuhunan tayo sa ating mga guro at ibinigay ang pinakamaganda, mas naibibigay rin nila ang buong puso nila para sa kinabukasan ng ating mga kabataan,” he added.