~~ 
.. . '  
. 
O F F  .,,., , I *  . -i!~ :8::t,*t:,rL>,i;y 
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
First Regular Session 
) 
rj ., . .  
) 
7 .JU!. -:,: , 
. 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
S E N A T E  
/ 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
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 itself 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 and secondary levels of education is 
as follows: 
First Semester: 
September to mid-January pus 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 school facilities for refugees. 
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 
Third Semester: 


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. 
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 2008- 
2009 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 (IO) 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/cyctone 
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. 
Third Semester: 
ESTRADA 


,
.
 
.
,
 
Q$.$',.< 
..:. ;,c ~.;8~d'?.J\W 
F 
FOURTEENTH CONGRESS OF THE REPUBLIC 
) 
1 
7 jjj:, -.;! 
;'..; :: i 
OF THE PHILIPPINES 
First Regular Session 
) 
Senate Bill No. 4 6 9 
INTRODUCED BY SEN. JINGGOY EJERCITO ESTRADA 
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 fbe Senafe and House of Representatives of the Philippines in 
Congress assembled: 
SECTION 1. Title. This Act shall be known as the "School Calendar Act of 
2007". 
SEC 2. 
School 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 (1 10) 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-calendar and tertiary levels shall comprise three (3) 
trimesters. 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 until 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; Provide, 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 provision 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 healtp 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 
school year 2008-2009 
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. Effectivity. -This Act shall take effect after publication in at least two (2) 
newspapers of general circulation. 
Approved,