DepEd: Reforms to benefit 26M learners, some 900,000 teachers

MANILA, Philippines — As the new school year kicks off on Monday, the Department of Education (DepEd) is implementing a broad set of reforms and teacher support initiatives to improve basic education for over 26 million students, strengthen more than 45,000 public schools, and support nearly 900,000 teachers nationwide.

The reforms include the adoption of a three-term school calendar, a learning continuity framework for emergencies, revised lesson planning and learning design standards, updated assessment and grading policies, and the nationwide implementation of a strengthened senior high school curriculum.

“We will ensure that children’s learning is better and that our teachers are more supported. We implemented these reforms to make the system clearer, teaching more effective, and more focused on the needs of learners,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said in a statement on Sunday.

The shift to a three-term school calendar, according to DepEd, allows for longer and more structured learning periods, improved lesson pacing, and dedicated time for remediation, consolidation, and enrichment activities.

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The first term is from June 8 to Sept. 15, followed by the second term from Sept. 16 to Dec. 18, with the third term starting on Jan. 4 until April 8 next year.

The strengthened senior high school curriculum will also be rolled out nationwide this school year. It is expected to provide more flexible learning pathways and better prepare students for higher education, employment, entrepreneurship, and lifelong learning.

Another reform being introduced is the learning continuity in emergencies policy, which sets clear protocols for sustaining education during disruptions such as typhoons, floods, extreme heat, earthquakes, and other emergencies.

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Emergencies protocol

The four-level framework aims to help schools determine the most appropriate learning approach depending on the safety, readiness, and overall conditions of students and teachers.

Under “hayo” (continue), face-to-face classes proceed normally when everyone is safe and ready. “hinay” (ease-in) allows learning to continue but at a slower and more flexible pace during minor disruptions.

In “hinga” (check-in), academic requirements are eased while greater attention is given to students’ well-being, while “hinto” (stop) signals a temporary suspension of academic activities due to risks to safety or basic needs.

To ease teachers’ workload and allow more focus on instruction, DepEd has also simplified lesson planning through the Ilaw Framework —which stands for Intentions, Learning Experience, Assessing Learning, and Ways Forward.

The new policy reduces documentation requirements, prohibits additional templates beyond official standards, and allows the responsible use of artificial intelligence as a support tool while maintaining teacher accountability and professional judgment.

DepEd has likewise updated its assessment and grading system to emphasize learner progress and meaningful feedback.

P10,000 teaching allowance

Along with policy shifts, DepEd is also providing teachers a P10,000 teaching allowance under the Kabalikat sa Pagtuturo Act (Republic Act No. 11997) to offset expenses for classroom supplies and learning materials.

“These reforms go hand in hand with our commitment to improve the welfare of our teachers,” Angara said. “As we improve the education system, we are also ensuring that our teachers—who are at the front line of education — receive greater support.”

Public school teachers in Metro Manila and nearby provinces, meanwhile, will welcome the new school year by holding a rally at Mendiola Bridge near Malacañang on Monday afternoon to press their demand for a P15,000 across-the-board salary increase amid an expected heavier workload.

In a statement on Sunday, Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC), the rally organizer, said they are starting off the school year by adapting to major changes, including the trimester academic calendar.

“We are not yet even discussing whether these changes are good or not. But we cannot deny that in the end, it is the teachers who bear the brunt of everything,” TDC national chair Benjo Basas said.

“We have to study them, implement them, and explain them to parents and the public in a very short period of time. It is always the teachers who have to adjust,” he said.

Basas noted that while education reforms and new initiatives are regularly introduced, the additional workload they create at the school level is frequently overlooked.

“It is not right to keep adding more and more work without recognizing the situation of the people expected to do it. If we truly want better education, we must also ensure that teachers receive salaries that reflect the value and difficulty of their work,” Basas said.

Security measures

The Philippine National Police, for its part, assured the public that it is “fully prepared and strategically positioned” to secure schools nationwide as classes reopen without compromising anticrime and other public safety operations.

In a statement on Sunday, PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said that protecting students remains the police force’s “absolute priority,” with more than 55,000 security personnel to be deployed under Oplan Balik-Eskwela.

The security force includes 28,751 police officers, 4,079 personnel from other units, and 22,677 force multipliers from partner agencies and community groups. /cb /atm