This essay introduces readers to current and contentious issues on religion and education in the Philippines. It attempts to answer the following questions: a) what are the most important education issues facing the Philippines today, and b) how do different religious, development, and government organizations in the Philippines interact with crucial education issues? The essay first overviews the key issues in education in the country before analyzing religious positions on educational issues and reviewing survey data regarding Filipinos’ positions on these issues. The next section breaks down the work of government, development, and religious organizations on education. The essay’s final part then brings all these threads together to analyze the intersection of religion, development, and education. This essay serves as a scoping study on urgent education issues in the country and their interactions with religions. The context is a four country, trans-national project focused on strategic religious engagement, undertaken by the World Faiths Development Dialogue and supported by the Templeton Religion Trust.