SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS )
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES }
Second Regular Session

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr.
House Bill No.6804
EXPLANATORY NOTE

This measure is intended to meet the urgent and reasonable need to protect the
health, safety and overall well-being of school children and student youth by adopting a
school calendar most suited to Philippine climatic conditions. It would be negated by inability
to go to school due to monsoon rains, typhoons respiratory illness of children aggravated by
being wet and chilled by rain, or lack of classrooms destroyed by typhoons. This change is
consonant with Philippine climatic conditions and the health and safety needs of the children
and youth,

The months of June to August are the heaviest rainy months and the occurrence of
the greater number of typhoons and monsoon rains. During these months, school children
are subjected to the irregularity of school days due to the rains and floods, horrendous
difficulties of commuting to and from school, danger to life from open drains resistance and
aggravated by intermittent cough, colds and chills. Many of our public schools are unfit for
appropriate classroom instruction and the health of the school children when the rains come.
‘Those conducting classes outside of the school itseff will be unable to do so.

Studies have shown that adoption of the trimester for tertiary levels is better for
accelerated completion of courses and continuity of lessons within the post secondary and
college curriculum. Trimesters enable tertiary level student youth to choose the months best
suited to their available time for study and to climate conditions. Trimesters also enable
student youth to complete courses faster, thereby saving on limited resources of the family.
For the third semester, students may opt for the distant study plan to avoid the hazards
during June to August.

The school calendar proposed for pre-elementary, elementary and secondary levels
of education is as follows

First Semester: September to mid-January plus Saturdays if needed to meet
the 110 days required excluding official holidays and to comply
with required days plus enrolment or between semester
periods to make up for non-seasonal typhoons, calamities and
earthquakes.

Second Semester: Mid-January to May plus Saturdays if needed to comply with
the 110 days required and to make up for the days lost due to
non-seasonal, climatic aberrations, calamities and necessary
use of schoo! facilities for refugees.

Third Semester: June to August cover the heaviest rainy months when the
children and youth are safer at home. This also meets the
agricultural traditions of the country when members of the
family all help “bayanihan’ style for the family livelihood and
‘community service.


The school calendar proposed for post-secondary and tertiary level is as follows:

First Semester: September to December in order to avoid the months of
heaviest rain and greater number of typhoons

Second Semester: January to April with provisions for the holidays and tradition
graduation ceremonies.

Third Semester: May to August cover hot summer and heaviest rainy months
and student and youth may opt for distant study plan in view of
climatic hazards.

Students affected by the disadvantages of heavy rains and monsoon weather may
use the third trimester for other useful activities, livelihood projects, agri-industrial pursuits, or
tree planting. For those who require additional studies for the third semester, the distant
study plan may be used for the heaviest rain and very hot months.

This proposal seeks to begin the revised school calendar with the school year
immediately succeeding the passage of this Act in conjunction with the lengthening of the
school calendar from 200-220 class days. For the pre-elementary, elementary and
secondary levels this means the increase of ten (10) more days per semester starting
September of each calendar year. For tertiary and post-secondary levels who adopt the
trimester system this means adding seven (7) days or about a week more per trimester.

The nation can no longer ignore the reality that our school children and student youth
suffer needlessly from having to go to school during the monsoon and typhoon/cyclone
months of June to August and it is the time we also consider along with the weather the
results of urbanization in school centers such as horrendous traffic difficulty of commuting
and the rise of respiratory diseases as the major illness of children and youth below 18 and
of school age.

Who will be benefited by this measure?

Each school year about 15.5 million pre-elementary, elementary and secondary
school children are affected by the adverse climatic conditions under which they are forced
to study, with an additional enrolment of about 300,000 each year.

For the post-secondary and tertiary levels, the school youth affected are about 1.44
million with an additional 78,000 to 122,000 more enrolled each year or about 1.5 million
school youth affected of going to school during rainy season and monsoon or typhoon
conditions.

For the sake of our children and youth, approval of this measure is urgent,
reasonable and necessary for the protection of the future human resources of this nation-
Filipino children and youth

i

MAXIMO B. RODRIGUEZ, JR.


SEVENTEENTH CONGRESS
REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES )
Second Regular Session )

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

Introduced by Representative Maximo B. Rodriguez, Jr.
House Bill No, 8804

AN ACT
REVISING THE SCHOOL CALENDAR FOR THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE OF
SCHOOL CHILDREN AND STUDENT YOUTH, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Philippines in Congress
assembled:

SECTION 1. Title. This Act shall be known as the "New School Calendar Act”.

SEC 2. Schoo! Calendar. The annual school calendar for pre-elementary, elementary and
secondary levels shall comprise two semesters for every calendar year. There shall be two
hundred twenty (220) school days for every calendar year or one hundred ten (110) school
days per semester. The first semester shall start the first week of September and shall
continue the second week of January and the second semester shall start the third week of
January and continue until the last week of May.

The school calendar for post-secondary and tertiary levels shall comprise three (3)
trimesters. There shall be two hundred twenty (220) school days for every calendar year or
seventy-three (73) days per trimester. The first trimester shall start the first week of
September until the last week of December. The second trimester shall start the first week of
January until the last week of April. The third trimester shall start the first week of May until
the last week of August; Provided, that, for valid reasons with the written permission of the
Commission on Higher Education, public or private post-secondary and tertiary level school
may adopt a particular school calendar on a semestral and modified trimester basis geared
to the needs of its students and the specific climatic conditions of the area where the school
is located: Provided, further, That the semestral calendar shall conform to this Act.

Subject to the provisions of this Act, the school calendar for the pre-elementary,
elementary and secondary levels shall be determined by the Department of Education,
taking into consideration days required for enrolment, official holidays and between semester
days off from school for the health of school children. When necessary to complete the
required number of school days and to make up for the days lost due to force majeure, the
Department may include Saturdays in the school calendar.

Subject to the provisions of this Act, the actual school calendar and required hours
for study according to credits for every trimester of the post-secondary and tertiary level shall
be determined by the Commission on Higher Education, taking into consideration the
enrolment period, official holidays, and between trimester days off from school for the well-
being of school youth. The Commission may require school days on Saturdays to complete
required hours for courses or to make up for days lost due to force majeure.

The revised school calendar pursuant to this Act shall be implemented starting the
school year immediately succeeding the passage of this Act

SEC 3. Rules and Regulation. The rules and regulation for the implementation of this Act
shall be promulgated by the Department of Education, for the public and private pre-
elementary, elementary and secondary levels and by the Commission on Higher Education
and the public and private post-secondary and tertiary level of education


SEC 4. Resources. Resources required for the appropriate implementation of this Act shall
be included in the annual general appropriations of the Department of Education, for the pre-
elementary, elementary and secondary levels and of the Commission on Higher Education
for the post-secondary and tertiary level. Funds required for the initial year of
implementation of the School Calendar from the present system to that proposed under this
Act shall be derived from any savings or unused funds of the Department of Education for
the pre-elementary, elementary and secondary levels and from the resources under the Act
creating the Commission on Higher Education for the post-secondary and tertiary level

SEC 5. Separability Clause - If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or unconstitutional,
the remainder of the law or the provision not otherwise affected shall remain valid and
subsisting.

SEC 6. Repealing Clause - Any law, presidential decree or issuance, executive order, letter
of instruction, administrative order, rule or regulation contrary to or inconsistent with the
provisions of this Act is hereby repealed, modified or amended accordingly.

SEC 7. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect after publication in at least two (2) newspapers
of general circulation.

Approved,