Classrooms of the future: AI, sustainability, and shared values

Classrooms of the future are no longer imagined as spaces filled only with chalkboards, rows of desks, and overworked teachers. They are envisioned as living ecosystems where technology, sustainability, and shared responsibility converge. In the Philippines, where the education system is strained by a shortage of more than 100,000 teachers and declining performance in global assessments, this vision is not just aspirational, it is urgent.

That vision is beginning to take shape in GabAI, the country’s first AI-powered teaching sidekick. Developed by Filipino startup Tagpros Education, GabAI is more than just a tool to lighten the load of teachers; it is a platform for reimagining how government, the private sector, and educators can work together to meet national development goals and advance the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

When I spoke recently with Chris Manansala, CEO of Tagpros Education, he described GabAI not as a replacement for teachers but as their “sidekick”: a partner that automates routine tasks like lesson planning, assessments, and administrative work. By reducing burdens that eat up countless hours, GabAI allows teachers to do what they do best: mentor, inspire, and connect with students.

What struck me most in our conversation was Mr. Manansala’s insistence that GabAI is not merely an app but a movement. “Together, we can ensure that every Filipino teacher is empowered, every student is supported, and the Philippines leads in shaping the future of education,” he told me. That perspective situates GabAI firmly within the sustainability agenda linking educational reform to national resilience.

Education has always been the bedrock of development. The SDGs may span 17 goals, but without SDG 4: Quality Education, progress on poverty, health, gender equality, decent work, and even climate action becomes fragile.

GabAI responds to this foundational need. By automating repetitive tasks, it enhances teacher efficiency and creates space for more meaningful engagement in classrooms. By extension, it also contributes to:

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth – improving the quality of teachers’ working lives and enabling them to focus on high-value teaching and tutoring.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals – creating a model for multi-sector collaboration in education reform.

In this way, GabAI is not just an educational technology; it is a sustainability initiative. It redefines classrooms of the future as places where empowered teachers and engaged learners form the foundation of national development.

GOV’T AS ENABLER: DEPED’S ROLE
If classrooms of the future are to become reality, government must play the role of enabler. The Department of Education (DepEd) has already piloted GabAI in “GabAI-Powered Schools” under the National AI Research Program. These schools serve as living laboratories, generating evidence to inform national education policy.

As Mr. Manansala emphasized, the pilots are already offering critical data for policymakers. Imagine if DepEd, supported by Congress, scaled this across divisions nationwide. Instead of piecemeal reforms, we could have systemic, data-driven innovation that reduces workloads, personalizes learning, and strengthens policy outcomes.

Government’s task is not only to regulate or endorse but to create enabling environments:

• Embedding AI adoption into teacher training and accreditation.

• Budgeting for digital transformation as a strategic investment, not an afterthought.

• Ensuring equity so rural and underserved schools are not left behind.

In doing so, DepEd can make GabAI not just a pilot but a policy cornerstone, anchoring classrooms of the future within a coherent national AI strategy.

PRIVATE SECTOR AS PARTNER: FROM DONATIONS TO SUSTAINABLE CSR
If government enables, the private sector must energize. For decades, CSR in education has meant building classrooms, donating books, or funding scholarships. While valuable, these efforts are often fragmented, episodic, and hard to measure. GabAI introduces a new model: scalable, evidence-based, and Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)-aligned.

Corporations that adopt GabAI as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) or sustainability programs can:

• Provide schools with a digital teaching support system.

• Track results with dashboards that measure teacher efficiency and student outcomes.

• Align their investments with global ESG standards by directly mapping impact to SDGs 4, 8, and 17.

This transforms CSR into shared value creation: schools gain real tools, policymakers get data, and corporations demonstrate measurable social impact.

One compelling example of how GabAI can complement existing CSR is PLDT’s long-running Gabay Guro initiative. For years, Gabay Guro has invested in the nation’s teachers through scholarships, livelihood support, digital connectivity, and training. It has touched the lives of thousands of educators by recognizing that teachers are at the core of nation-building.

GabAI adds a new dimension to this vision. Where Gabay Guro has built capacity and provided resources, GabAI offers a digital ally in the classroom: a tool that reduces workload, personalizes learning, and provides measurable data for impact. Together, they create a continuum of teacher empowerment: Gabay Guro uplifts and equips teachers, while GabAI sustains them in day-to-day practice.

This is where CSR evolves from traditional generosity to strategic sustainability. By integrating GabAI into Gabay Guro, PLDT could set a precedent for how corporations blend their flagship education programs with AI-driven innovation, ensuring that classrooms of the future are not only well-supported but also digitally enabled.

OVERCOMING CONCERNS: TRUST AND ADOPTION
As with any technological intervention, concerns exist. Some fear that AI may deskill teachers or widen the digital divide. Others worry about reducing education to algorithms.

Mr. Manansala acknowledged these anxieties, but underscored that GabAI is built to empower, not displace, teachers. Its recognition by the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) as an official training platform strengthens this assurance. By embedding GabAI into professional development, teachers are not left behind; they are equipped to critically adopt AI, mastering its use rather than being mastered by it.

The key, however, is adoption that is participatory. Teachers must be consulted and supported, not dictated to. Parents must be informed transparently about GabAI’s impact on student learning. Communities must see GabAI not as technology imposed from above but as a tool co-created with them.

Trust will grow only when classrooms of the future are built with, not just for, the teachers, parents, and students who inhabit them.

For GabAI to deliver on its promise, it must be anchored in an ecosystem of shared values:

1. Government mainstreaming GabAI in DepEd’s digital transformation and aligning it with the National AI Strategy.

2. LGUs adopting GabAI in public schools, demonstrating grassroots innovation.

3. Corporations embedding GabAI in their CSR and ESG portfolios, ensuring measurable, sustained impact.

4. Universities and teacher associations integrating GabAI into pre-service and in-service training.

This collective approach transforms GabAI from a startup innovation into a national platform for resilience. Classrooms of the future will not be built by technology alone but by the synergy of policy, business, and pedagogy.

Education crises are never solved overnight. But they are also never solved by leaving the burden on one sector alone. GabAI offers us a different path: one where government enables, the private sector energizes, and teachers empower.

The Philippines now has a rare opportunity to lead, not just in AI adoption but in aligning technology with sustainability. By supporting initiatives like GabAI, we are not merely digitizing classrooms; we are future-proofing our nation.

As I reflected on my conversation with Mr. Manansala, one thought lingered: a nation that fails to educate cannot sustain itself. But a nation that empowers teachers, harnesses technology, and builds partnerships rooted in shared values? That is a nation prepared not just for the next decade, but for generations.

Dr. Ron F. Jabal, APR, is the CEO of PAGEONE Group ( www.pageonegroup.ph ) and Founder of Advocacy Partners Asia ( www.advocacy.ph ).

ron.jabal@pageone.ph

rfjabal@gmail.com.