THE proposal of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) to transition to a three-term school calendar starting next school year has been approved by the Department of Economy, Planning and Development (DEPDev). The DEPDev said on Friday the transition was approved during the council’s meeting on Thursday chaired by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. The policy, endorsed by the Social Development Committee-Cabinet Level, aims to maximize learning time, which is often interrupted by inclement weather, as well as celebrations and observances. The DEPDev said the policy aligns with the findings and recommendations of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EdCom 2) for a plan that ensures sufficient learning time amid frequent climate-related disruptions. “By shifting from a four-grading-period system to a three-grading-period system, students will benefit from longer, uninterrupted instructional blocks, stabilizing their learning pace and recovery each term,” it said. A three-term school calendar also allows teachers to pursue opportunities for professional development and allot time for the implementation of 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 Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan, who is vice chairman of the ED Council. House Basic Education Committee Chairman Rep. Roman Romulo said that while he supports the switch to a three-term school calendar, he hopes that the Education department reconsiders holding catch-up classes during the break. In a message to The Manila Times, Romulo, also a co-chairman of EdCom 2, said that one of the recommendations of the commission is to “protect instructional time by reducing overload from noninstructional activities and improving governance of school calendar disruptions.” “If the proposed three-term school calendar ensures more instructional time in classrooms by reducing the number of class day disruptions brought about by weather disturbances, and national and local holidays, we are in full support. However, it is hoped that DepEd reconsiders holding catch-up classes during the break,” Romulo added. The DepEd has yet to respond to the recommendation of the DepDev, but in an earlier statement, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the move would ensure strategic curriculum implementation through the appropriate distribution of learning blocks covering academic, co-curricular and extracurricular activities. “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,” Angara said. In a related development, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered the monitoring of the rollout of the DepEd’s budget from hiring more teachers to building more classrooms. In a statement, Executive Secretary Ralph Recto said the “shopping cart” of school supplies, manpower and facilities should be procured and hired without delay. Under the 2026 national budget, about P1.345 trillion has been allocated for the education sector — from preschool to postgraduate — a 4.36-percent gross domestic product share aimed at closing learning gaps. “This historic high spending should not be squandered to slow procurement. What is in the budget must leapfrog to classrooms,” Recto said. He added that some of the items in the “school shopping cart” that must be prioritized are classrooms, teachers and books. Recto said corrective measures to cure delays in classroom construction, “a traditional problem area,” are being instituted. Unlike classroom construction, Recto said that hiring of teachers are not “long gestation projects,” so the 65,184 new teaching and nonteaching positions funded in the 2026 budget “can be onboarded immediately.”