President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. is not opposed to the implementation of the K-12 program but wants to improve the curriculum, Malacañang said on Wednesday.

“Hindi na po siya tutol talaga sa K-12. Aayusin po ngayon (He is not really against K-12. It will be improved now),” Palace Press Officer Claire Castro told reporters in a press conference.

“Pero kung ano po ang magiging batas, iyan din po ang susundin. Pero sa ngayon na nandiyan ang batas, ito po ay bibigyan ng halaga at palalawigin at pagagandahin po (But whatever the law will be, that will also be followed. But now that the law is there, it will be valued, expanded, and improved).”

Marcos, however, acknowledged the lack of preparedness in implementing the education program, Castro said.

“Ang sinabi lang po niya ay hindi naging epektibo agad dahil hindi niya nai-prepare ang mga ahensya para dito (What he is saying is that it was not effective immediately because he did not prepare the agencies for it),” she said.

In his podcast aired last month, Marcos expressed frustrations over the K-12 program and directed Education Secretary Sonny Angara to strengthen the curriculum and address long-standing gaps in education infrastructure.

Castro said the current administration would exhaust all efforts to strengthen the K-12 program.

“Ayon po sa ating Pangulo, hanggat nandyan ang batas para sa K-12, ito po ay susuportahan at palalawigin at pag-iibayuhin na maayos para sa ating mga estudyante (According to our President, as long as the law for K-12 is there, it will be supported, expanded, and improved properly for our students),” she said.

Senate President Pro Tempore Jinggoy Estrada earlier filed a bill seeking the removal of the senior high school (SHS) level in the K-12 program, citing the criticism and objections from various groups.

Angara said there are ongoing efforts to improve the SHS program, with over 800 schools nationwide participating in the pilot run of the enhanced curriculum for Grades 11 and 12 starting school year 2025-2026. (PNA)