ILOILO City — The Department of Education (DepEd) will officially implement a new Three-Term School Calendar in Western Visayas beginning School Year 2026-2027 – a major restructuring of the basic education schedule that will replace the traditional four-grading-period system in public schools.
However, DepEd Region 6 clarified that the reform is “not the same as the traditional trimester system commonly used in colleges and universities,” stressing that there will be no reduction, compression, or removal of subjects and learning competencies under the new setup.
Under DepEd Order No. 009, series of 2026, the school year will open on June 8, 2026 and end on April 8, 2027, with 201 class days divided into three academic terms and two-week enrichment blocks intended for remediation, assessment, and focused learning support.
“It is important to clarify that the DepEd Three-Term School Calendar is not the same as the traditional ‘trimester’ system commonly used in colleges and universities,” said Hernani Escullar Jr., information officer of DepEd Region 6, in an interview with Panay News.
A traditional trimester system in college usually divides the academic year into three equal semesters where subjects may be compressed, rotated, or completed within one term. In some cases, students take different sets of subjects every trimester.
“In contrast, the DepEd Three-Term School Calendar does not change the curriculum structure, subject offerings, or learning competencies. Basic Education will continue to follow the same curriculum standards and subjects prescribed under DepEd,” clarified Escullar.
The reform simply reorganizes the school year into three academic terms to improve instructional pacing, reduce disruptions, and provide dedicated periods for assessment, remediation, and enrichment.
DepEd said the implementation will primarily apply to public elementary and secondary schools, including Senior High School, while private schools may opt to retain their existing academic calendars provided they comply with DepEd policies and required school days.
Escullar said private schools “are not required to implement” the three-term calendar provided they comply with existing DepEd policies and the required number of school days.
Under the new academic structure, the key schedules are:
* Term 1 – June 8, 2026 opening
* Term 2 – Begins mid-September
* Term 3 – Ends April 8, 2027
* Enrichment Blocks – Two-week intervention and academic support periods at the end of every term
DepEd Region 6 said preparations for the transition have been underway since March through orientations, planning conferences, consultative workshops, and capability-building activities involving teachers, school heads, and education stakeholders.
Escullar said the preparations aim to ensure that schools, teachers, and administrators are ready for the transition before the opening of classes.
“Overall, these preparations are intended to ensure that the implementation of the Three-Term School Calendar will be organized, systematic, and responsive to the needs of learners, teachers, and schools,” Escullar stressed.
DepEd maintained that the reform seeks to improve lesson pacing, learning continuity, learner well-being, and classroom management without altering the curriculum itself.
“One of the main objectives of the Three-Term School Calendar is to improve the organization and delivery of instruction without changing the curriculum itself. DepEd wants to emphasize that this is not a shift to the traditional college-style trimester system where subjects are compressed or shortened. Instead, the Three Term School Calendar is designed to create a more balanced and learner-centered academic schedule while maintaining the same curriculum standards and learning competencies,” Escullar stressed.
The department said the new structure aims to provide:
* longer uninterrupted learning periods
* improved lesson continuity
* stronger remediation and enrichment activities
* fewer class disruptions
* reduced learning gaps, and
* better management of teachers’ workloads.
“The reform supports DepEd’s goal of improving the quality of teaching and learning while ensuring that no competencies are removed or reduced,” Escullar said.
“The subject areas, learning competencies, and curriculum standards will remain the same. There is no reduction in the subjects or competencies. The reform only changes the organization of the school calendar and the pacing of instruction,” he added.
DepEd expects the new setup to improve learner engagement, lesson retention, mastery of competencies, and academic recovery through dedicated intervention periods.
For SY 2026-2027, DepEd will also introduce an adjusted transmutation table as part of the transition toward a zero-based grading system set for implementation in the following school year.
“For SY2026-2027, an adjusted transmutation table will be used which serves as the school year to transition to the zero-based grading system that will be implemented in the following school year. Numerical grades will not stand alone anymore, as qualitative descriptors will also be used alongside numerical grades for Key Stages 2 to 4,” Escullar said.
The department also assured parents and stakeholders that safeguards are already in place to protect learner performance and educational quality during the transition.
“We encourage everyone to remain informed, cooperative, and supportive as we begin this new academic structure. Through strong partnership among schools, families, communities, and stakeholders, we can ensure that Filipino learners continue to receive quality, inclusive, and meaningful education,” said Escullar./PN