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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider National devider Proposed trimester system to help teachers, give students more activity time — Angara

Proposed trimester system to help teachers, give students more activity time — Angara

Published Feb 24, 2026 07:34 pm
Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara said the proposed trimester system aims to reduce teachers’ workload and give students more time for extracurricular activities. (DepEd / MB Visual Content Group)
Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara said the proposed trimester system aims to reduce teachers’ workload and give students more time for extracurricular activities. (DepEd / MB Visual Content Group)
Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara on Tuesday, February 24, said the proposed shift to a trimester system for basic education in Philippines schools aims to ease teachers’ workload and give students more time for activities that enhance learning.
At the sidelines of the ASEAN Editors and Economic Opinion Leaders Forum (AEEOLF) 2026 in Makati City, Angara told reporters that the proposed shift to a trimester system for School Year (SY) 2026–2027 is part of broader reforms to improve education quality and classroom experience.
“Yung trimester system, mas maraming oras iyan para sa ating mga guro na magturo, hindi sila overburdened (With the trimester system, teachers have more time to teach and they are not overburdened),” Angara explained.
Benefits for teachers
DepEd is eyeing the introduction of a trimester system beginning next school year to improve teaching conditions and student learning.
However, DepEd clarified that consultations on the proposal are still ongoing.
Angara said the proposed system will help reduce teacher workload and improve scheduling. He explained that the current four-quarter system often leaves teachers rushing to complete lessons.
“Dito sa four quarters natin, palagi na lang naghahabol, laging may exam, eh alam naman natin maraming bagyo at events, so parang habol nang habol (In our four-quarter setup, they are always rushing, with exams happening constantly… and since we know there are many typhoons and events, it feels like they’re always trying to catch up),” Angara added.
More time for training, student development
Angara said the new system will allow teachers more time for training, grading, and lesson preparation.
Students, he added, will also benefit from having more time for extracurricular activities and holistic development.
“Dapat merong oras si teacher mag-training, mag-correct ng papers, at may oras din ang mga estudyante na magkaroon ng extracurricular activities (Teachers should have time for training, correcting papers, and students should also have time to engage in extracurricular activities),” Angara said. “May oras para sa lahat ng activities (There should be enough time for all activities),” he added. 
RELATED STORY: 
https://mb.com.ph/2026/02/13/deped-eyes-trimester-system-for-sy-20262027-what-will-change

Related Tags

DepEd DepEd trimester system DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara trimester system Philippines basic education teacher workload Philippines DepEd School Year 2026–2027
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