THE Department of Education (DepEd) yesterday said its Oplan Balik Eskwela will start on June 9 as the department braced for the opening of classes for school year 2025-2026 on June 16.
“The Department of Education shall conduct the 2025 National Oplan Balik Eskwela (OBE) to engage agencies, organizations, and other stakeholders in preparation for the opening of the school year. For school year 2025-2026, the OBE shall run from June 9 to June 20, 2025,” said the DepEd Memorandum Order No. 45 dated May 22.
“The OBE is part of the Department’s effort to ensure that learners from public and private schools are properly enrolled. It aims to address problems, queries, other concerns commonly encountered by the public at the start of the school year,” it added.
Among the OBE partner agencies are the Departments of the Interior and Local Government, Energy, Health, Public Works, Social Welfare, Trade and Industry, Transportation, and Information Communication and Technology, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System, Philippine National Police, Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, National Telecommunications Commission, Presidential Communication Office, and Manila Electric Company.
“The member-agencies will perform a critical role by providing guidelines on health and safety, peace and order, and transportation, among others, when the school year opens,” the DepEd order stated.
An OBE Public Assistance Command Center will also be set up at the DepEd central office in Pasig as well as in regional and division offices through its public assistance units.
The DepEd earlier announced that school year 2025-2026 will begin on June 16 and end on March 31, 2026, for a total of 197 school days.
The DepEd noted, however, that this number may change based on unforeseen events and future directives.
The coming school year marked the return to the pre-pandemic school calendar, with classes opening in June and ending in March.
Private schools have the discretion whether to adopt or not the department’s calendar for public schools.
