Economic execs approve school trimester

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March 21, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — As part of efforts to improve learning outcomes, the Economy and Development (ED) Council has approved the implementation of a trimester school calendar.

The council, chaired by President Marcos, endorsed the change from a four-quarter system during its meeting yesterday, the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev) said in a statement.

Under the new system, the school year will have 201 days divided into three terms.

The first term will run from June to September, the second from September to December and the third from January to March.

Endorsed by the Social Development Committee at the Cabinet level, the policy aims to ensure an adequate learning period despite climate-related disruptions and the observance of holidays.

It aligns with the findings and recommendations of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2) to enforce a concrete plan that ensures students have sufficient learning time even with frequent disruptions.

By shifting from a four-grading period system to a three-grading period system, DEPDev said there would be longer, uninterrupted instructional blocks to stabilize learning pace and recovery in each term.

The new school calendar would also enable teachers to pursue professional development opportunities and provide a dedicated period for catch-up initiatives.

“Our commitment to developing a globally competitive workforce begins with providing evidence-based solutions to bridge educational gaps in our country. We commend DepEd (Department of Education) for continuously pursuing initiatives that support critical development priorities,” DEPDev Secretary and EDC vice chairman Arsenio Balisacan said.

However, this move was opposed by the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), which described it as a “rushed, top-down reform” that sidelines teachers’ input.

ACT chairperson Ruby Bernardo said the policy does not address the fundamental problems of the education system, such as classroom shortages, low wages, excessive workloads and lack of learning materials.

“They said consultation was needed, but in the end, it was still implemented in a hurry. Where is the voice of the average teacher in this decision?” Bernardo asked.

She added that the shift to a trimester calendar would likely increase teachers’ burdens, requiring them to compress lessons and navigate new assessment systems without additional support.

Bernardo emphasized that calendar reform alone cannot resolve structural issues.

“While efforts are being made to repackage the system, low wages, underfunding and deteriorating conditions in schools remain unaddressed,” she said.

She urged the DepEd to pause the implementation of the trimester system and conduct genuine consultations with teachers, unions and education stakeholders while addressing long-standing demands for increased funding, salary upgrades, additional plantilla items and adequate school facilities.

“If we really want to fix education, it must start by listening to the teachers, staff, students and sometimes parents who have long suffered from the worsening problems of the sector,” Bernardo said.

Progress reports

In a separate development, President Marcos has ordered agencies to submit regular progress reports to ensure that priority items in the “school shopping cart,” including classrooms, teachers and books funded under the 2026 budget, are delivered without delay.

Executive Secretary Ralph Recto described the progress reports as “some sort of grading period so problem areas can be troubleshooted immediately.”

Marcos, he said, has made the directive “to closely monitor every step of the acquisition chain, from fund release to project groundbreaking to completion.”

“We need to catch up here, so the President’s order was for close monitoring and not to be complacent in demanding results,” he said in Filipino.

Recto said some P1.345 trillion has been allocated for the education sector, from preschool to postgraduate, under the 2026 national budget. This represents a 4.36 percent share of the gross domestic product, aimed at closing learning gaps.

“This historic high spending should not be squandered to slow procurement. What is in the budget must leapfrog to classrooms,” Recto said. “For example, the purchase of P120.17 million worth of textbooks and instructional materials is funded in this year’s budget, plus 121,000 laptops. The rule should be that what is budgeted for one fiscal year must be delivered within one school year.” — Bella Cariaso, Helen Flores