The Department of Education (DepEd) Region V, in partnership with the Private Education Assistance Committee (PEAC) Region V, successfully conducted the Regional Orientation Conference on the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) Programs—namely the Educational Service Contracting (ESC), Teachers’ Salary Subsidy (TSS), and Senior High School (SHS) Voucher Programs—for School Year (SY) 2026–2027. The event was held on June 9, 2026, at Villa Caceres Hotel, Naga City.
The conference convened 467 private school administrators, registrars, and IT personnel from the six provinces of Bicol. It served as a venue to orient participating private educational institutions on the effective implementation of government assistance programs under PEAC.
The activity was organized under the leadership of DepEd Region V Regional Director Gilbert T. Sadsad and PEAC Regional Director Fr. Aristotle C. Dy, SJ, President of Ateneo de Naga University and Dr. Arnulfo Aaron R. Reganit, ATTC Director and the PEAC Regional Coordinator. Assisting in the conduct of the conference were Gerardo Matos, Jr. and Azenith Flor A. Santorce of the Regional PEAC Secretariat.
In his welcome remarks, Fr. Dy encouraged schools to pursue quality assurance certification as a mark of excellence and stressed the importance of compliance with program requirements. He also expressed appreciation to school administrators and partners for their support in ensuring the success of the event.
A recorded message from DepEd Secretary and PEAC Chairman Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara underscored the continuing growth of the DepEd Voucher Program. He stated, “Our DepEd Voucher Program has been growing, and we want to make it even more updated and better suited to today’s times and needs. I think it is a great manifestation of the constitutional principle of the complementary roles of public and private education.”
Messages of support were likewise delivered by members of the PEAC Executive Committee:
• Secretary Arsenio M. Balisacan, PhD – Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev)
• Dr. Betty Cernol McCann – President, Association of Christian Schools, Colleges and Universities (ACSCU)
• Fr. Karel S. San Juan, SJ – President, Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP)
• Mr. Marco Alfredo M. Benitez – President, Philippine Association of Colleges and Universities (PACU)
Representing the Regional Director, Dr. Jocelyn Dy, Chief of the Quality Assurance Division, delivered her remarks. Ms. Precy Labao, Head of the Training and Development Certification Unit presented performance highlights of the GASTPE programs for SY 2025–2026 and outlined plans and directions for SY 2026–2027.
The conference also recognized thirteen ESC schools that successfully obtained certification during SY 2025–2026. Certificates of recognition were awarded to these institutions in acknowledgment of their commitment to quality education and continuous improvement.
To conclude the morning session, representatives from the Government Assistance and Subsidies Service (GASS) of the Department of Education Central Office— Runvi V. Manguerra, Executive Director II of the Private Education Office (PEO); and Riene Dimakiling, Project Development Officer II, and Ernest Robert A. Estolaga, Project Development Officer II —provided updates and briefed participants on the SHS Recognition, the guidelines, procedures, eligibility requirements, and allocation processes related to the GASTPE and E-GASTPE programs in the region.
PEAC Certifier Raymond Andrie Samonte reminded participants to move beyond merely complying with the requirements for DepEd certification. Emphasizing the importance of continuous quality assurance in education, he noted that “Certification is not a one-time activity—it is a continuing process,” underscoring the need for schools to sustain and continually improve the quality of their programs and services.
PEAC Information Technology and Information Management Unit Head Eimann Evarola discussed information security and data privacy protection. He emphasized the importance of data protection in school administration, citing the need for a data protection officer. Evarola continued to talk about the GATSPE guidelines and Processing of GATSPE Billing Documents, including learner eligibility, guidelines for ESC, TSS, and SHS Voucher grantees.
Finally, Kevin Allan Catenza, Billing and Processing Systems Associate of PEAC’s Monitoring and Processing Unit, demonstrated the PEAC website and guided participants through its key features and functions, highlighting its role in facilitating the efficient implementation and management of GASTPE programs.
Written by Azenith Flor Santorce
