Summary
On July 16 and 17, 2026, the Education Center for AI Research (ECAIR) launched Project Ugnay at the 3rd Joint Educational Trifocal Management Committee Meeting (JETMC3), held at the Sen. Edgardo J. Angara Convention Center in Baler, Aurora. Ugnay brings the country's education institutions onto a single map and traces the pathways learners take from basic education into higher education or technical-vocational training. The launch took place alongside the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement that operationalizes Project TAHANAN, ECAIR's data harmonization blueprint.
Project Ugnay
Dr. Erika Legara, ECAIR Managing Director, demonstrated how Ugnay visualizes the country's education institutions in a single map, showing the pathways that allow students to transition from elementary education to higher education or to technical-vocational centers. The platform also highlights areas where proximity to such institutions remains limited. That view gives the central and field offices of the Department of Education (DepEd), the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) a basis for addressing infrastructure gaps that can interrupt a learner's progression from basic education to post-secondary opportunities.
Colleagues from the three education agencies can access Project Ugnay at ugnay.cair.ph.
Memorandum of Agreement on Project TAHANAN
The launch was held alongside the signing of the Memorandum of Agreement between DepEd, CHED, TESDA, and Analytiks, Inc., which operationalizes Project TAHANAN, the ECAIR data harmonization blueprint turned over to the Education and Workforce Development Group (EWDG) on April 22, 2026. Together, the two initiatives advance the work of strengthening the country's education-to-employment ecosystem.