(UPDATED) President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. has backed the return of the old school calendar, believing it would be ideal for young students.
This, following the Department of Education's (DepEd) appeal to revert the academic calendar to the original June class opening.
"I asked DepEd Secretary Inday Sara [Duterte] to give me already a concrete plan because mukha naman hindi na tayo kailangan mag-antay pa at mukha namang kailangan na," Marcos told reporters at the Government-Owned or-Controlled Corporations Day in Pasay City on Monday.
The president does not "see any objections," especially with the weather patterns brought about by El Niño.
"Every day you turn on the news, F2F classes are canceled, F2F classes have been postponed, et cetera," he said.
"So yes, that's part of the plan that we're trying to do to bring it back already to the old schedule. I think it would be better for the kids," he added.
President Marcos eyes to implement the return of the old calendar next year. This decision was prompted by public clamor because the hotter months of April and May are not conducive to learning, especially for kids. From April to May this year, DepEd has declared in-person class suspensions due to excessive heat.
ALSO READ: DepEd Supports Transition To The Old Academic Calendar
Revert to the old academic calendar
In a separate statement, DepEd Assistant Secretary Francis Bringas said the department would abide by the President's decision to return to the old school calendar as soon as possible.
According to the DepEd official, the "most aggressive option" to revert to the old school calendar would be ending SY 2024-2025 on March 31, 2025, which would only accumulate around 165 school days. But under the Republic Act 7797, the school year in the Philippines should be between 200 and 220 days.
As of May 9, nothing is final yet, and DepEd hasn't provided detailed plans for the transition. The agency explained that Marcos is still reviewing the options presented to him.
Why did Philippines change its academic calendar?
In 2014, many educational institutions in the Philippines shifted to a Western academic calendar, with classes typically starting in August or September, in an effort to synchronize schedules and facilitate international collaborations and exchanges.
Some lawmakers also pointed to the country's weather patterns as a reason for moving the start of classes to August, aiming to reduce disruptions caused by typhoons and heavy rains, which are more common with the traditional June start. This adjustment was intended to minimize class suspensions, ensuring a more consistent and effective academic schedule.
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