MANILA, Philippines — Public school teachers are set for a two-day wellness break on September 14 and 15, 2026, with the Department of Education (DepEd) directing schools to protect the period from official work.
The move comes as DepEd implements the new three-term school calendar for School Year 2026–2027, which provides teachers with a dedicated break after each term to rest, recover and attend to their personal well-being.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara issued the directive on September 8, reminding regional offices, schools division offices and public schools that the wellness break must be treated as a genuine period of rest.
During the two-day break, teachers must not be required to attend meetings, trainings or Learning Action Cell sessions. They also cannot be required to participate in school activities, submit reports, complete official submissions or perform asynchronous work.
The directive is particularly significant because it seeks to prevent the wellness break from becoming another period of work under a different name.
Remote work option for eligible personnel
While teachers are being given protected days off from official duties, DepEd has also clarified arrangements for certain school-based personnel.
According to the Manila Standard, school-based teaching-related and non-teaching personnel may be allowed to work from home during the wellness-break period, subject to applicable flexible-work arrangements and the approval of school or office authorities.
This distinction is important: the WFH arrangement does not mean teachers are expected to work remotely during their wellness break.
For teachers, the September 14–15 period is intended to be a genuine break, with no official work requirements. GMA News and PhilSTAR Life likewise reported that teachers are not supposed to be assigned meetings, trainings, school activities, reports, submissions or asynchronous deliverables during the break.
Part of DepEd’s new three-term calendar
The wellness break is part of DepEd Order No. 009, series of 2026, which established the guidelines for the implementation of the three-term school calendar in basic education.
Under the new system, teachers receive a two-day wellness break after each term. The policy is designed to give educators time to rest and recuperate before beginning the succeeding term.
DepEd’s calendar provides a longer end-of-term block in which schools complete key academic and administrative requirements before the dedicated wellness period. The order also states that teachers should not be assigned instructional, administrative or extracurricular duties during their wellness break, except in emergency or exigency-of-service situations.
For the first term of School Year 2026–2027, the teachers’ wellness break falls on September 14 and 15, with instruction for the next term scheduled to resume afterward.
DepEd strengthens its focus on employee well-being
The latest directive follows DepEd’s broader wellness initiatives for its workforce.
Earlier this year, the department implemented a separate wellness-leave policy following the Civil Service Commission’s Wellness Leave Policy. Under DepEd Order No. 002, series of 2026, eligible DepEd personnel may avail themselves of up to five days of wellness leave per calendar year for purposes that include mental health care, physical wellness activities or a general break from work.
The wellness leave benefit is separate from the scheduled term-based wellness break for teachers.
DepEd has also previously implemented flexible work arrangements for certain non-teaching and related-teaching personnel. In an earlier wellness-break issuance, the department allowed eligible non-teaching personnel to work from home for a limited number of days while requiring offices to maintain a skeleton workforce for essential services.
Schools told to protect the break
DepEd has urged school heads and field officials to carefully schedule activities immediately before and after the wellness break so that teachers can actually benefit from the two-day period.
The directive effectively sends a message to schools: the wellness break should not be filled with last-minute meetings, paperwork or online assignments that would defeat its purpose.
For thousands of public school teachers, September 14 and 15 are therefore intended to be two days without the usual demands of teaching-related official work—a pause before the next term begins.
The policy also highlights DepEd’s effort to address teacher workload and promote a healthier balance between professional responsibilities and personal well-being as the country’s public education system adjusts to its new three-term structure.
Leave a Reply