Marilyn Cahatol

Article (news)

Agatha Gregorio

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/17815177372701781517733067.jpeg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Teachers gather books donated as the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) launched Tulong Guro donation drive and relief operations to assist teachers and learners in Sta. Lucia Highschool in Quezon City on September 27, 2022. <em>George Calvelo, ABS-CBN News/File </em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — An official of the Department of Education (DepEd) vowed to complete delivery of textbooks within the first term of the school year after a House lawmaker cited a DepEd Muntinlupa report saying none were delivered for four levels– Grades 3, 6, 9, and 10.</p><p>DepEd Assistant Secretary for Governance and Operations Roger Masapol gave this assurance to lawmakers, also explaining that there was an issue with a supplier’s contract.</p><p>“‘Yung Grade 3 po ay nag-fail po siya pero na-repeat na po siya so delay po talaga siya… ‘Yun pong 6, 9, 10, mayroon pong kailangang ayusin lang po sa contract with the supplier kaya po medyo nagkaroon ng delays. But overall po, lahat ng subject, lahat po ng learning areas at grade level ay na-procure po ngayong taon. So matter of deliveries na lang po,” Masapol said during a meeting on Monday under the House Committee on Basic Education and Culture.</p><p>When asked about what “first term” pertains to, DepEd Undersecretary for Learning Systems Carmela Oracion said they look to finish deliveries by August.</p><p>Before this, Muntinlupa Lone District Representative Jaime Fresnedi called it “very unfortunate” that multiple grade levels received no textbooks, based on a report from DepEd Muntinlupa.</p><p>“Based on the report given to me by DepEd Muntinlupa, as of June 11, for Grade 3, no textbook delivery. For Grade 6, no textbook delivery. For Grade 9 and Grade 10, no textbook delivery… This is very unfortunate,” Fresnedi said.</p><p>ACT Teachers party-list Representative Antonio Tinio also raised concerns over the lack of textbooks despite School Year 2026-2027 already having begun this month.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/8/-for-june-8-7-am-ph-classes-reopen-as-3-term-school-calendar-begins-0700">PH classes reopen as 3-term school calendar begins</a></div><p>“We’re already in the first month of the new school year. Gaano katagal po ba? Kasi ngayon, award pa lang ng contract. Obviously, it will have to be printed… Ano ang timeframe natin bago makaabot sa mga bata ‘yung mga librong ito?” Tinio asked.</p><p>“Assurance naman po namin within the first term ay magkakaroon po ng mga libro ‘yung mga bata,” Masapol replied.  </p><p>Oracion added, the Bureau of Learning Delivery was given instructions for grade levels that have yet to receive their textbooks.</p><p>“Sinubukan po namin kayanin na by the start of the school year, lahat ng textbooks available. Hindi po talaga kinaya,” Oracion said.</p><p>“Ngayon po, ‘yung magkakaroon na ang bawat mag-aaral ng aklat ay end of July or early August po. So in the meantime that classes have started where there are no textbooks yet specifically in grade 6, 9 and 10, our bureau of learning delivery has given instructions for the classes to use our learning materials po,” Oracion added.</p><div> </div><div><strong>TEACHERS, PARENTS SHELLING OUT FUNDS</strong></div><p>Akbayan party-list Representative Chel Diokno also raised concerns over some public school teachers and parents supposedly shelling out personal funds for classroom supplies and repair.</p><p>“Many of our public school teachers and parents continue to spend their own hard-earned money to repair classrooms, purchase supplies, and prepare schools for the opening of classes. Pati raw mga electric fan at pinto ay kailangan pang pag-ambagan. Hindi po dapat ganito,” Diokno said.</p><p>Oracion later said teachers were strictly cautioned against spending their own money for such matters.</p><p>“If you really have an inventory, dapat ma-capture na ‘yun. Could you take a look again?” the panel’s chairperson, Pasig Lone District Representative Roman Romulo asked when DepEd said they have an inventory of classrooms needing repair.</p><p>“We’ll get to the bottom of it,” DepEd Undersecretary for Human Resource and Organizational Development  Wilfredo Cabral replied.</p><p>Cabral also said they will consider Diokno’s suggestion on keeping records of how much teachers contribute financially as donors.</p><p>“You would think, Mr. Chair, that for policy purposes and even budgeting and planning purposes, magandang malaman natin kung ano ‘yung inaambag ng mga guro so that in the future, we can prevent it and take other measures to ensure that hindi na sila mag-aambag ng ganoon,” Diokno said.</p><p>Romulo also asked the agency to look into creating a separate budget for Brigada Eskwela, instead of relying on funding under Maintenance and other operating expenses (MOOE) for schools’ needs.</p><p>“Madaling banggitin ‘yung MOOE, pero ‘pag hinimay na pala, baka wala nang laman. So baka puwedeng i-consider ng DepEd na for Brigada Eskwela or prior to that or for that ano, may separate talagang budget. Baka puwede lang. Again, hindi kami manghihimasok sa ‘yo doon,” Romulo said.</p><p>“Para lang sure hindi kawawa ‘yung principal o ‘yung teachers dahil ubos na ‘yung MOOE sa kuryente, sa iba-iba pang ginagastusan nila,” Romulo added.</p><p>For Romulo, this could help solve concerns on teachers using their own money to prepare for the opening of classes.</p><p>DepEd agreed to the request for them to consider the proposal.</p><div> </div><div><strong>SIX HOURS OF TEACHING</strong></div><p>Cabral promised to fix Department Order (DO) 005, s. 2024 dictating six hours of teaching for educators, after clarifying they meant six hours would be the maximum, instead of the minimum.</p><p>“The DO 5 of 2024– ang sinasabi po doon shall not exceed six hours. And that means that’s the maximum,” Cabral said, to which Tinio replied, “Parang hindi ganoon ‘yung wording sa DO 5.”</p><p>The department order states, &quot;Teachers shall render eight hours of service per day, of which six hours shall be devoted to actual classroom teaching.”</p><p>Romulo said six hours could be interpreted as a minimum requirement.</p><p>“Ang problema doon sa shall teach for six hours– it can be interpreted as minimum,” Romulo said.</p><p>“Ayusin na lang po namin,” Cabral replied.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/6/1/teachers-still-shoulder-school-costs-despite-trillion-peso-education-budget-act-says-1759">Teachers shoulder school costs despite trillion-peso education budget, ACT says</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO:</strong></div><div style="text-align:center"><iframe width="960" height="540" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Qv6m8GZ4JCc?si=K5MSOCOj00Cw77SR" title="YouTube video player" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>

<p>An official of the Department of Education (DepEd) vowed to complete delivery of textbooks within the first term of the school year after a House lawmaker cited a DepEd Muntinlupa report saying none were delivered for four levels– Grades 3, 6, 9, and 10.</p>

An official of the Department of Education (DepEd) vowed to complete delivery of textbooks within the first term of the school year after a House lawmaker cited a DepEd Muntinlupa report saying none were delivered for four levels– Grades 3, 6, 9, and 10.

DepEd vows to distribute all textbooks within first term as lawmaker flags non-delivery for multiple levels in Muntinlupa

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DepEd vows to distribute all textbooks within first term as lawmaker flags non-delivery for multiple levels in Muntinlupa

Agatha Gregorio,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 15, 2026 06:39 PM PHT

Read More:

textbook

DepEd

House of Representatives

Brigada Eskwela

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