MANILA -- Eight out of 10 Filipinos want to bring back the students' April and May summer break, according to a Pulse Asia survey commissioned by Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian.

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Gatchalian on Tuesday showed the result of a Pulse Asia survey where respondents were asked whether they agree or disagree with bringing back the students’ April and May summer break.

Eighty percent of respondents nationwide agree, 11 percent cannot say if they agree or disagree, and only 8 percent said they disagree.

“Malinaw ang boses ng ating mga kababayan na nais nilang ibalik ang bakasyon ng mga mag-aaral sa buwan ng Abril at Mayo... Magsasagawa tayo ng pagdinig upang pag-aralan nang husto ang mga hakbang para itaguyod ang kapakanan ng ating mga guro at mga mag-aaral,” said Gatchalian, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Basic Education.

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Majority of respondents in the National Capital Region (81 percent), Luzon (73 percent), Visayas (90 percent), and Mindanao (86 percent) agree with the proposal to bring back to April and May the summer breaks of students.

The survey was conducted from June 19 to 23, 2023.

Republic Act No. 11480, signed on July 17, 2020, amended Section 3 of Republic No. 7797, which provides that the school year shall start on the first Monday of June but not later than the last day of August. Republic Act No. 7797 also lengthened the school calendar from 200 days to not more than 220 days.

The Department of Education (DepEd) earlier said it may take 3 to 5 years before schools could bring back the June to March academic calendar, which several groups sought due to harsh heat in classrooms during the dry season.

This timeline was based on an ongoing study by the agency, which is also coordinating with state weather bureau PAGASA.

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