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Bella Cariaso - The Philippine Star
April 19, 2026 | 12:00am
Morning shift students of President Corazon C. Aquino Elementary school in Batasan head home, as afternoon shift students arrive in this photo taken in January.
Michael Varcas
MANILA, Philippines — The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) yesterday said that a shift to a three-term calendar only becomes meaningful when it is anchored in deliberate commitments that directly improve learning, as the Department of Education (DepEd) will begin its implementation starting School Year (SY) 2026-2027.
“The first question demands that schools confront the gap between aspiration and evidence by setting measurable targets that define success in concrete terms. Without such commitments, calendar reform risks becoming a cosmetic adjustment rather than a catalyst for equity and improvement,” the CEAP said on Facebook.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara announced that the opening of SY 2026-2027 in public schools will be on June 8.
Angara signed DepEd Order 009, Series 2026 on April 16, providing the guidelines on the implementation of the three-term school year.
“Institutionalizing Professional Learning Communities calls for a cultural shift where collaboration is not optional but embedded in the rhythm of school life. True PLCs require discipline, protected time, and a shared moral purpose focused on improving classroom practice through collective inquiry. They transform teaching from an isolated act into a communal responsibility for student learning,” the CEAP added.
The DepEd has defended the shift to a three-term schoolyear, saying it forms part of its broader effort to improve the quality of basic education, strengthen instructional planning and ensure schools are better supported in delivering the K-12 curriculum.
The CEAP added that learning improves most when the work inside the classroom is strengthened.
“Policies may reorganize time, restructure calendars, or introduce new frameworks, but these remain peripheral if teaching itself does not deepen. Together, these questions reframe the three-term calendar as a structure that must serve pedagogy, not the other way around. Ultimately, they challenge schools to ensure that any change in time design leads to deeper learning, stronger teaching and more just outcomes for every student,” the CEAP said.
It said that when teachers are well-prepared, supported, and continuously developed, they are better able to respond to the varied needs of their students.
“In turn, students benefit not only from clearer instruction, but from learning environments that are attentive, adaptive, and humane,” the CEAP said.
