The Makabayan Bloc on Monday, June 19 filed a bill seeking to revert the previous June to March academic school calendar.
House Bill No 8550, introduced and filed by Gabriela Women's Party Rep. Arlene Brosas, ACT Teachers Partylist Rep. France Castro, and Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Danniel Manuel, proposed that the school year shall begin on the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August.
"Notwithstanding, the provision of any law to the contrary, the deferred school opening shall apply to all basic education schools, including foreign or international schools," the bill reads.
The lawmakers said the Department of Education (DepEd) shall determine the end of the regular school year, "taking into consideration the Christmas and summer vacations, and the peculiar circumstance of each region."
The Makabayan bloc solons said that the old calendar should be restored considering the complaints of teachers, students, as well as parents regarding the grueling heat experienced during the face-to-face classes this S.Y 2022 - 2023.
House Bill No 8550 also seeks to set the class days to 200 days from 220 days.
In an interview with reporters, Castro expressed her hope that the bill will be passed in the lower house.
"Kung hindi man ma-approve ngayong school year. By next school year ay dapat mag-start ng first Monday of Junce so that 'yung April and May, 'yung bakasyon ng bata dahil nakita natin ang naging epekto ng pag-adjust ng school year dahil nga sa kasagsagan ng pandemya noong 2020 at 2021," she said.
Meanwhile, in a statement, ACT Chairperson Vladimer Quetua said that the bill is important, particularly for teachers who do not want their students to suffer from the summer heat once again.
"Dahil sa matinding init, maraming mga guro at estudyante ang nagkasakit, nahirapang magturo at magpokus sa klase, at lumaki rin anila ang bilang ng mga lumiliban. Kaya narito kami para ipakita ang aming suporta sa kinatawan ng mga guro sa kongreso na malinaw na nagsusulong sa kapakanan namin," he said.
"Napakahalaga talaga na may bumababa sa grounds at inaalam ang tunay na kalagayan namin sa mga school at maging sa classrooms,” Quetua added.
Last March, Senator Sherwin 'Win' Gatchalian, the chairman of the Senate Committee on Basic Education, first floated the suggestion of restoring the original academic calendar following the hospitalization of more than 100 high school students due to heat exhaustion.
