The Philippine government has committed itself to the Millennium Development Goal of achieving 100% primary education in 10 years. At the national level and within the context of formal education, Education for All (EFA) has been adopted as the flagship program and the Department of Education (DepEd) has a mandate to be aggressive in pursuing reforms to boost performance, eg through the Basic Education Reform Agenda (BESRA). BESRA propels the “School First Policy” that aims to give local governments more leeway in planning their education reform agenda. A policy of devolution ensures freedom to local DepEd units in implementing EFA goals, especially in funding. This is complemented by basic reforms within the DepEd bureaucracy, including the transformation of the Non-Formal Education (NFE) Bureau into the Bureau of Alternative Learning Systems (BALS).

Particularly on mountainous Mindanao—home to at least 2 major groups of indigenous and minority populations, the Moro and the Lumad—the Arroyo administration has taken a cue from the Republic Act 9054, otherwise known as the Organic Act on Autonomous Muslim Mindanao—a by-product of the 1996 Peace Accord—to be cognizant of plurality and cultural diversity on Mindanao. Thus, the DepEd is charged with spearheading the cultural integration agenda by including Islamic values and basic Arabic grammar into the curriculum in areas where Muslims are a majority. Meanwhile, catering to the non-Muslim indigenous Lumad, the DepEd passed a memorandum in June 2004 accrediting Indigenous People's (IP) schools. Yet it is apparent that the reforms have so far been national in focus and integrationist, rather than substantial moves towards the full recognition and empowerment of traditional systems and indigenous ways of educating the IP and minority children. Policy is one thing, but implementation remains palliative and lukewarm.