After public outcry, increased expenses, and a rise in heat-related illnesses among students, the Department of Education (DepEd) has reverted the Philippine school calendar to its original schedule.
According to Department Order (DO) No. 12, series of 2025, the DepEd academic calendar for public schools will now follow a June-to-March cycle, with summer breaks in April and May. This marks the full reversion to the traditional school calendar used prior to the pandemic.
DepEd Media Relations Chief Dennis Legaspi clarified that this change applies only to public schools. “Private schools may adopt DepEd’s school calendar. They may also set their start of classes, provided they comply with the School Calendar Law, which states that the school year shall start on the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August,” Legaspi said.
The calendar shift was originally triggered by disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. The school year was moved from June to October and later standardized to start in August in subsequent school years. This adjustment pushed classroom operations into the peak of the summer or dry season, when temperatures in many areas regularly exceeded safe thresholds for learning environments.
Teachers’ groups, such as the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT), along with health advocates and parent associations, flagged the move as harmful to student welfare. Their concerns, amplified by strong online conversations, centered on unsafe classroom temperatures, increased electricity costs, and reduced concentration due to extreme heat. Reports of heat-related medical cases among students rose significantly during summer sessions. Several local government units also suspended in-person classes during heatwaves, further disrupting school schedules.
DepEd Secretary Senator Sonny Angara, who assumed office in July 2024 following the resignation of Vice President Sara Duterte, ordered the full implementation of the old school calendar beginning SY 2025–2026. Duterte had signed an earlier order adjusting the SY 2024–2025 calendar to start on July 29 and end on April 15 but had favored a gradual return to the old schedule by 2028. Angara accelerated the process following broad public pressure and concerns over conflicts with the May 2025 midterm elections.
