Economy and Development Council OKs trimester plan

The Department of Economy, Planning, and Development (DEPDev) said that the Economy and Development (ED) Council has approved the implementation of the three-term school calendar starting school year 2026-2027.

Chaired by President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr., the council approved on Thursday the Department of Education’s (DepEd) trimester system proposal, which is eyed to improve the country’s education outcomes.

“The policy, endorsed by the Social Development Committee-Cabinet Level, aims to maximize the length of learning time, often disrupted by bad weather as well as celebrations and observances,” DEPDev said in a statement on Friday.

DEPDev said that the policy follows the recommendation of the Second Congressional Commission on Education to enforce a concrete plan that guarantees adequate learning time despite climate-related disruptions.

“By shifting from a four-grading period system to a three-grading-period system, students will benefit from longer, uninterrupted instructional blocks, stabilizing their learning pace and recovery each term,” it said.

The new calendar is also designed to enable teachers to pursue professional development opportunities and allow dedicated periods for catch-up initiatives.

“Our commitment to developing a globally competitive workforce begins with providing evidence-based solutions to bridge educational gaps in our country,” said DEPDev Secretary and ED Council Vice Chair Arsenio M. Balisacan.

“We commend DepEd for continuously pursuing initiatives that support critical development opportunities,” he added.

Meanwhile, the council also terminated the existing Investment Coordination Committee approval of the Unified Grand Central Station (UGCS) project.

“This action is necessary to formally close the current project approval following the termination of the design-and-build contract and the determination that completion under the same contractual arrangement is no longer feasible,” DEPdev said.

With the termination, the development of the project will now continue through separate implementation arrangements.

The council sees the decision to help facilitate the “orderly contract closeout, address pending obligations, and allow the transition to an alternative delivery approach.”

The UGCS Project will establish a common station that will link the Light Rail Transit (LRT) Line 1, Metro Rail Transit (MRT) Line 3, and MRT Line 7. — Justine Irish D. Tabile