Benguet Schools Ban Weekend School Activities to Protect Rest and Family Time

BENGUET — The Department of Education (DepEd) Schools Division of Benguet has directed schools and learning centers under its jurisdiction to prohibit the conduct of curricular, co-curricular, extra-curricular, and other school-related activities during Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays.

The directive was issued through Division Memorandum No. 333, s. 2026, dated September 1, 2026, following measures agreed upon during the DepEd-Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) Management Committee Meeting held on August 25–26, 2026.

Under the memorandum, make-up classes, trainings, workshops, meetings, and other forms of school activities on weekends and holidays are strictly prohibited. The policy is intended to give learners, teachers, and other school personnel adequate time for family bonding, rest, and personal activities.

The division also provided guidance for teachers who plan to travel abroad during the Instructional Block. Teachers must coordinate with their respective school heads to ensure that another teacher is available to handle their classes while they are away. Otherwise, overseas travel will only be allowed during the end-of-term blocks.

Teachers were likewise reminded to comply with existing DepEd travel policies, particularly DepEd Order No. 043, s. 2022 and DepEd Order No. 046, s. 2022.

The memorandum called for the immediate implementation and dissemination of the directive to concerned officials, school heads, teachers, and personnel across the Schools Division of Benguet.

The move reinforces efforts to establish clearer boundaries between school responsibilities and personal time, particularly as teachers continue to raise concerns over school-related tasks extending into weekends and designated rest days.