House Committee on Basic Education and Culture Chair Roman Romulo clarified that the Department of Education’s (DepEd) proposed three-term school calendar is not part of the recommendations of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM 2).

Romulo, however, said that EDCOM 2 supports efforts to ensure sufficient learning time for students.

“The three-term setup itself is not part of the recommendation. But based on EDCOM 2’s study, it appears that we are struggling to meet the minimum of 180 academic calendar days that students are actually inside the classroom,” he said.

He emphasized that the commission’s main concern is ensuring that students receive adequate in-class instruction, regardless of how the school calendar is structured.

“All Secretaries have issued department orders stating that the number of school days should not fall below 180. What’s important is that students are in the classroom with a teacher delivering the lesson plan, and that is what we want,” he added.

Romulo also noted that based on DepEd’s own projections, the agency is confident it can reach up to 201 academic days—helping ensure that students spend more time in classrooms while allowing teachers to effectively deliver lessons.