MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education is considering adopting a trimestral system in the school calendar, with the aim of coming up with a "holistic approach" that ensures strategic curriculum implementation through the appropriate distribution of learning blocks covering academic, co-curricular, and extracurricular activities.
“Itinutulak natin ito upang magkaroon ng mas mahahabang, tuloy-tuloy na panahon ng pagkatuto, mas maayos na pacing ng mga aralin, at mas mababang administrative burden para sa ating mga guro. Sa ganitong paraan, napapangalagaan natin ang kalidad ng edukasyon (We are pushing this so there will be longer and more flexible instructional periods, improved lesson pacing, and lower administrative burden for teachers. In this way, we are improving the quality of education)," Education Secretary Sonny Angara said in a statement on Saturday.
Angara further added that the proposal was anchored on the findings of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (Edcom 2).
Under the proposal, the trimestral system will divide the school year into three academic terms with longer instructional and enrichment blocks, enabling teachers to sustain lesson delivery without frequent interruptions.
For School Year 2026-2027, the 201 school days will be distributed in a way that it would provide longer uninterrupted teaching periods and allowing better pacing of lessons.
Scheduled breaks between terms will also provide teachers with time for planning, assessment, and professional tasks, helping improve overall instructional delivery.
Based on the calendar framework, classes will open in early June, with the first trimester running from June to September. The second trimester will cover September to December while the third trimester will run from January until late March, completing the 201 school days for the academic year.
