THE DEPARTMENT of Education on Monday directed all public schools nationwide to keep end-of-school-year (EOSY) ceremonies modest and economical in light of rising fuel costs.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara urged schools to avoid unnecessary expenses to ease the financial burden on Filipino families.

“Our schools must prioritize the welfare of learners by keeping these ceremonies simple, meaningful, and free of unnecessary costs,” he said.

Under Memorandum No. 015, series of 2026,schools are instructed to:

Use simple venues, such as school grounds or covered courts, instead of renting expensive facilities.

Prohibit any collection of fees or contributions for graduation and moving-up rites. Participation cannot depend on financial contributions.

Cover only essential expenses using the school’s Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) funds.

Avoid imposing non-academic activities like field trips or prom nights as prerequisites for graduation.

Angara noted that families are facing higher transportation costs and rising prices of basic goods, and emphasized that graduation should remain a celebration of achievement, not a financial burden.

The EOSY ceremonies are scheduled from March 30 to 31, with approximately 1.9 million Grade 6 learners and 1.8 million Grade 12 learners expected to graduate nationwide.