The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) said that the Economy and Development (ED) Council has approved the implementation of the three-term school calendar starting school 12 months 2026-2027.
Chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., the council approved on Thursday the Department of Education’s (DepEd) trimester system proposal, which is eyed to enhance the country’s education outcomes.
“The policy, endorsed by the Social Development Committee-Cabinet Level, goals to maximise the length of learning time, often disrupted by bad weather in addition to celebrations and observances,” DEPDev said in a press release on Friday.
DEPDev said that the policy follows the advice of the Second Congressional Commission on Education to implement a concrete plan that guarantees adequate learning time despite climate-related disruptions.
“By shifting from a four-grading period system to a three-grading-period system, students will profit from longer, uninterrupted instructional blocks, stabilizing their learning pace and recovery each term,” it said.
The brand new calendar can be designed to enable teachers to pursue skilled development opportunities and permit dedicated periods 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,” said DEPDev Secretary and ED Council Vice Chair Arsenio M. Balisacan.
“We commend DepEd for constantly pursuing initiatives that support critical development opportunities,” he added.
Meanwhile, the council also terminated the present Investment Coordination Committee approval of the Unified Grand Central Station (UGCS) project.
“This motion is vital to formally close the present project approval following the termination of the design-and-build contract and the determination that completion under the identical contractual arrangement isn’t any longer feasible,” DEPdev said.
With the termination, the event of the project will now proceed through separate implementation arrangements.
The council sees the choice to assist facilitate the “orderly contract closeout, address pending obligations, and permit the transition to an alternate delivery approach.”
The UGCS Project will establish a typical station that can link the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1, Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3, and MRT Line 7. — Justine Irish D. Tabile