DepEd starts nationwide briefings for shift to three-term school calendar

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) has begun a nationwide series of orientation sessions to prepare teachers and school officials for the implementation of a new three-term school calendar starting in the 2026–2027 academic year.

In a statement, DepEd said the shift is part of its broader effort to make the education system more responsive to frequent disruptions that have affected the academic calendar in recent years. The agency said the transition is intended to help schools better manage interruptions while maintaining learning continuity.

During the first orientation session held at Miriam College, Education Secretary Sonny Angara underscored the importance of ensuring that teachers and school leaders are fully prepared for the reform.

“These reforms will only be successful if our teachers and school leaders fully understand how to implement them in actual situations,” Angara said.

DepEd said the briefings are designed to guide education personnel on how the new school calendar will work in practice, as well as to explain related reforms that will be introduced alongside it.

The department said the nationwide rollout of the orientation sessions will begin with regional and division officials before cascading to the school level.

Master teachers and classroom teachers are expected to receive more detailed briefings in May as preparations for the transition continue.

The reform, however, has drawn criticism from the ACT Teachers Party-list, which earlier questioned the proposed three-term school calendar and argued that the measure does not address what it described as the deeper and more fundamental problems confronting the Philippine education system.

Despite the criticism, DepEd is moving forward with its information campaign, stressing that the success of the reform will depend largely on how well school personnel understand and implement the new system.

The three-term school calendar is set to take effect in School Year 2026–2027.