24/09/2026
๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ || ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ฌ๐๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐
Think about spending nine hours exhausting yourself while transferring your thoughts into not one, not two, but many subjects, clubs, projects, and practices all packed into one brain. We once joked about this and even added the word "imagine" at the very beginning of the statement. But now, we don't joke about it anymore; we now agree with it and live in what was once only our imagination.
The school day begins early at 7:30 AM, and some students even extend their stay until 6:00 PM because classes must remain uninterrupted as ordered by the Department of Education.
The DepEd instructional block is a protected, uninterrupted 54 to 61-day teaching period within the three-term school calendar.
This aims to focus strictly on curriculum delivery, core competencies, and regular classroom assessments. This affects not only sports and athletes but also students, coaches, and teachers.
๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ ๐ฆ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฑ๐๐น๐ฒ
During Sirinipal 2026, preparations and games happened right after a full day of classes, leaving students with barely any evening time to rest or study. DepEd's instructional block policy states that no activity may interrupt class hours; everything must be squeezed into the time left after dismissal, reducing personal hours and turning each day into a long list of school duties. Research such as EDCOM II shows that Filipino students already carry one of the heaviest workloads in the region, reporting that Senior High School students spend up to 55 hours weekly on schoolwork.
๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ
From 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, time is reserved for instruction. What remains is left for extracurricular activities. With the implementation of this policy, participation is still possible, but balancing participation and focus has become more difficult. This leaves students trying to fit extracurricular activities into the limited hours after class.
The schedule continues, but can it still be called a "schedule" if it has already become a disrupted body clock? The policy states that no activity may interrupt class hours, making students struggle to find ways to fit extracurricular activities into their time. Under DepEd Order No. 009, Series of 2026, the academic year is organized into specific goals and a structured instructional period. Sonny Angara, Secretary of the Department of Education, stated that the purpose of the instructional block is to ensure longer, uninterrupted periods of learning and better pacing of lessons.
What was once an imagination has become a daily routine. Nine hours of instruction are no longer followed by rest but by more demands. Projects and subjects pile up, practices run late, and clubs continue to meet. Extracurriculars, extra schedule. And when both are extra, what gets less is the student.
As students continue to adapt to longer days and heavier responsibilities, the challenge remains not just in keeping up with the schedule, but in ensuring that learning, growth, and well-being are not sacrificed in the process.
๐ท๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: ๐โ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐กโ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ค๐๐๐ก๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐ค๐ , ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ , ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐โ๐ ๐ด๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ก๐, ๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ฟ๐๐ข๐-๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐โ ๐๐โ๐๐๐.
โ๏ธ LC Magbanua, AJ Vescatcho
๐ผ๏ธJC Labanon, AJ Vescatcho
