To: Undersecretaries
Assistant Secretaries
Bureau Directors
Directors of Services, Centers and Heads of Units
Regional Directors
Schools Division/City Superintendents
Heads, Public and Private Elementary and Secondary Schools
All Others Concerned

1. In line with the mainstreaming of the reforms in basic education, the Department of Education (DepEd) issues the School Calendar for the School Year (SY) 2013-2014. The opening of classes shall be on Monday, June 3, 2013 and the last day shall be on Monday, March 31, 2014 with a total of 201 school days.
2. This School Calendar aims to synchronize all core events and teaching-learning activities in order to maximize the use of the 201 school days for the SY 2013-2014 which include the 180 days for non-negotiable teacher-pupils/students contact time and the four (4) days In-Service Training (INSET) break and parent-teacher conferences. The different school events and activities with the number of school days per quarter are detailed in Enclosure No. 1.
3. Private schools may deviate from this School Calendar. However, they shall not start their classes earlier than June 3 and not later than the last day of August as provided in Republic Act (RA) No. 7779 entitled “An Act to Lengthen the School Calendar from Two Hundred (200) Days to Not More Than Two Hundred Twenty (220) Class Days”. They shall notify the appropriate/respective DepEd Office in advance regarding any deviation.
4. Specific guidelines are provided in Enclosure No. 2 to enable the schools to implement the school events and activities effectively and efficiently.
5. The regional offices (ROs) and the division offices (DOs) shall provide support to the schools especially in the areas of instruction and progress monitoring and evaluation.
6. The schools may observe national and local celebrations/activities and holidays other than those indicated in Enclosure No. 3, provided that the total number of school days is maintained, and that make-up classes shall be conducted to compensate for the school days spent for said activities. In this regard, the RO may issue a regional school calendar to reflect their respective concerns, provided that the total number of school days is not compromised.
7. Each RO shall submit the Consolidated Report on the Actual Number of School Days with activities held in every school in its different school divisions under its jurisdiction not later than two (2) weeks after the end of the school year. The report shall include recommendations on how the policy on meeting the required number of school days can be strengthened and submit this report to the Office of the Undersecretary for Programs and Projects through the Bureau of Elementary Education (BEE), 2nd Floor Bonifacio Building and the Bureau of Secondary Education (BSE), 3rd Floor Bonifacio Building, DepEd Central Office, DepEd Complex, Meralco Avenue, Pasig City.
8. Immediate dissemination of and strict compliance with this Order is directed.

Encls.:
As stated
References:
DepEd Order: Nos. 26 and 89, s. 2012 DepEd Order: Nos. 28 and 34, s. 2011

To be indicated in the Perpetual Index under the following subjects:
CALENDAR, School
CELEBRATIONS & FESTIVALS
CLASSES
POLICY
SCHOOLS

DO_s2013_010