Updated April 14, 2019, 5:45 PM

By Merlina Hernando-Malipot
Manila Bulletin

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED)

on Saturday confirmed that all State Universities
and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and
Colleges (LUCs) are enjoined to shift their
respective academic calendars to August starting
this Academic Year (AY) 2019-2020.
 enjoined, t.v. - to direct or order to do
something

Prospero De Vera, CHED Chairman,

told the Manila Bulletin that he issued a
CHED Memorandum Order wherein all
SUCs and LUCs were enjoined to start
their academic calendars in the month
of August.
 SUCs – State Universities and Colleges

“It has been planned since last year after

the budget hearings on cash-based
budgeting were discussed,” he said.
“Some SUCs had already changed their
calendar even before that memo was
issued,” he added.
 memorandum, n. – a brief written message
or report from one person to another

In CHED memorandum dated April 5, 2019,

issued to CHED Regional Office Directors,
Officers-in-Charge, Heads of SUCs and LUCs,
De Vera officially announced that SUCs and
LUCs may shift their academic calendars “to
begin in August of every year” starting this
coming academic year.
 .

The move, De Vera said, is “pursuant to the

pertinent provisions of RA 7722, otherwise
known as ‘Higher Education Act of 1994’ and
CEB Resolution No. 142-2019.”
Academic Year, n. – the time during a year when a school
has classes.
Fiscal Year, n – a 12 month period used by a government to
calculate how much money is being earned, spent, etc.

All SUCs and LUCs, he said, “are enjoined to

synchronize its respective Academic Year
(AY) to a Fiscal Year (FY) starting FY 2019
and to ensure that starting FY 2020, all SUCs
and LUCs have synchronized their academic
year to a fiscal year.”
 .

De Vera clarified the “main reason for the

shift” is the “special provision” in the 2019
General Appropriations Act (GAA) citing
that “CHED should synchronize” the
academic calendar to August for SUCs and
LUCs.
 .

“The other reasons are for

internationalization and
facilitating linkages with other
universities,” he added.
 .

However, De Vera clarified that

“enjoined” means the CHED is
“encouraging” the SUCs and
LUCs to shift their academic
calendars to August.
 .

“Those who are ready are

doing it now. The others can
do it when they are ready,” he
added.
 .

Meanwhile, De Vera said that this directive is

only for public HEIs. “Private HEIs don’t get
reimbursement of tuition and miscellaneous so
they are not affected by cash-based budgeting,”
he said, pertaining to the implementation of
the Republic Act (RA) 10931 or Universal Access
to Quality Tertiary Education Act (UAQTEA).
 Updated April 14, 2019, 5:45 PM
By Merlina Hernando-Malipot

Signed into law by President Rodrigo

Duterte in 2017, the RA 10931 provides free
higher education which will cover tuition,
miscellaneous, and other fees in 112 SUCs
and 78 CHED-recognized LUCs);
 .

a TES; free Technical-Vocational

Education and Training (TVET) for those
enrolled in state-run Technical Vocational
Institutions, and a Student Loan Program
(SLP).
 HEIs – Higher Education Institutions

Calendar Shift

Many HEIs have already moved their

academic calendars from June to later
months.
 Calendar Shift
The University of the Philippines System –
which includes the UP Diliman, UP Manila,
UP Los Banos, UP Baguio, UP Visayas, UP
Mindanao, UP Open University, and UP
Cebu implemented the new academic
calendar – on a pilot basis – starting August
2014.
 Calendar Shift
UP President Alfredo Pascual, in an earlier
statement, said that the ASEAN integration
prompted the UP system to adopt a new
academic calendar.
 Calendar Shift
Synchronizing the academic calendar with
most ASEAN, European and American
academic partners, he said, “will create more
joint programs and partnerships with other
universities, allow students to get transfer
credits and address the problem with
semestral gaps with partner universities.”
 Calendar Shift

The De La Salle University (DLSU), as

early as 2013, has announced its plans to
move the opening of classes to September.
 Calendar Shift
DLSU said it was making the shift to a
September to April academic calendar in
2015 because of the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
economic integration.
 Calendar Shift
In 2015, the University of Santo Tomas
(UST) and the Ateneo de Manila
University also shifted their respective
academic calendars to August.
 Thank You
and GOD Bless!
 Published January 25, 2014 4:43pm
By ANTONIO P. CONTRERAS

“Which one is better: a semestral or a

trimestral system?”
 Time in classroom vs money

One semester in UP requires students to

attend classes for 16 weeks. This entails
shorter class periods, but longer term
breaks – and also a longer summer
session for those who opt to take such.
 Time in classroom vs money

One trimester in La Salle has 14 weeks, that

already includes one-week of exams. The
result is longer class periods and shorter
term breaks (only a week in some cases) and
also a shorter summer session (only about
two to three weeks).
 Time in classroom vs money

In terms of degree completion, the semestral

system would require four years of eight
semesters before a student can graduate,
while a trimestral system would normally
require three years of nine semesters.
 Time in classroom vs money

However, this is outweighed by the fact that

students in the trimestral system are expected
to have a shorter stay in college, thereby having
less overhead for their parents, and are
expected to earn earlier – assuming they are
employed after graduation.
 Time in classroom vs money

However, this is outweighed by the fact that

students in the trimestral system are expected
to have a shorter stay in college, thereby having
less overhead for their parents, and are
expected to earn earlier – assuming they are
employed after graduation.