The Department of Education (DepEd) has successfully completed competitive bidding for its latest computerization project, securing 172,654 Apple MacBook Neo laptops to be distributed to public school teachers and administrative personnel nationwide.
DepEd announced the project on Tuesday, November 3, emphasizing that providing reliable, high-end technology aims to alleviate the financial and operational strains long experienced by Filipino educators. The agency plans to roll out cluster and mega-cluster launch events across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao beginning this November, featuring interactive unboxing sessions to mark a major milestone for Philippine basic education.
Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara highlighted that teachers have historically shouldered the cost of buying their own laptops or maintaining outdated hardware just to prepare daily lessons.
”We welcome Apple’s participation in this procurement to bring MacBook Neo to our teachers. It isn’t just about handing out world-class hardware with five-year warranties; it’s about giving our educators the best tools, backed by robust training so they can focus on what matters most: teaching our children,” Angara said.
Apple Chief Executive Officer John Ternus also highlighted the milestone during the company’s fourth-quarter 2026 financial results conference call on Tuesday, noting it as Apple’s largest education deal ever for Mac.
“I’m feeling great about the opportunities ahead for Apple, from our product roadmap and broad range of services to promising areas like health, emerging markets, enterprise, and education. As one example, we recently secured our biggest education deal ever for Mac, with the Department of Education in the Philippines. They’re going to deploy 170,000 MacBook Neos to teachers and staff,” Ternus said.
Under its ongoing Computerization Program, DepEd has awarded contracts for a total of 231,725 teacher laptops, consisting of 169,008 MacBook Neo units and 62,717 Windows-based computers. An additional 3,646 MacBook Neo laptops have been allocated for administrative officers, bringing the total MacBook Neo deployment to 172,654 units. Rollout is slated to run from November 2026 through March 2027.
DepEd managed to acquire each MacBook Neo package at approximately ₱43,000—roughly ₱6,900 cheaper than the standard Philippine retail price of ₱49,900. Additionally, the government secured an unprecedented five-year warranty package that covers delivery, logistics, built-in productivity tools, and comprehensive professional training.
To ensure effective utilization, DepEd is partnering with Apple to introduce GuroXL, a customized training framework. Developed in coordination with the National Educators Academy of the Philippines (NEAP), the program will help teachers achieve Apple Teacher Certifications and secure specialized technology leadership credentials.