The document provides an overview of the development of the Philippine education system from pre-colonial times through the present day K-12 program. It describes how the system was influenced by Spanish, American, and Japanese colonial rule, establishing formal schools and standardized curricula. The post-colonial system developed a trifocal structure overseen by different government agencies. The new K-12 program aims to strengthen early education, make the curriculum more relevant, and build proficiency in mother tongues and English/Filipino to better prepare students for tertiary education and compete globally.

1. Chapter 4
Philippine Education System
Villaluz, M. T., MAMT
Contents
SPANISH PERIOD (1521 - 1896) .......................................................................3
AMERICAN PERIOD (1898 - 1935) .....................................................................3
JAPANESE PERIOD (1941 – 1944)......................................................................5
POST-COLONIAL PERIOD (1946 – PRESENT)..........................................................5
I. Introduction................................................................................................2
II. The Development of Philippine Education System .........................................2
III. The Emergence of New K – 12 Program .......................................................6
IV. Summary....................................................................................................9
V. References ...............................................................................................12
Objectives of this chapter 4
• Describe how the Philippine education system had been
developed in spite it was reshaped and influence during the
colonialism era; and
• Present basic information for the advent of the new
educational system, the K to 12 BEP, which aims to compete
globally and address the very urgent and critical demand for
quality education.

2. 2
Introduction
“Without education and liberty, which are the soil and the
sun of man, no reform is possible, no measure can give
the result desired.” – Dr. Jose Rizal, Philippine National
Hero
Education is a necessity to produce quality transformation towards the goal.
Education is essential to a person, as well as to the society, for having it there would
be a continuous imparting of knowledge down to the ages and all the standard of
values. Each one must freely absorb the culture of the society or the accepted
measure of doing things to meet the desired outcomes.
The meaning of education differs from an individual person with a diverse
fragment in the society according to the prior experiences, the pursuit of knowledge
and preferred purposes. For a learner, education is the attainment of knowledge,
getting a course or certificate. A statesman possibly will define it as to reshape
individuals to be a good citizen. And a teacher perhaps interprets education as an
instrument for making a new man and new society. In addition, education varies
from one place to another and from one period to the next ages. At each phase, it
has had a different connotation according to current social situations. Therefore,
education is together acquisition of new knowledge and an instrument of training
and reforming of values, norms and skills (Mondal, 2014).
Education as a system, primarily, may be seen as a part of the whole social
system. It returns and impacts the social and cultural standards of which it is a part.
Nowadays, in contemporary society, the education system is observed as formal
schools. Thus, the Philippine education system understood as a subsystem within a
complex learning organization that develops, promotes, provides and ensures basic
education. It has a responsive system to the internal, external and emerging learning
needs (DECS, 2000).
The Development of Philippine Education System
During the pre-colonial period, the education system of the Philippines has
been existed through informal and unstructured homeschooling and decentralized in
nature. In a home setting, the educational system was an apprenticeship, where the
learner had direct and actual learning taught by the parents and guided by the
“babaylan” (Barcelona, 2017). The second was Enculturation-process where people
learn the necessities of the nearby culture and adopted values, and manners
appropriate or required. The core values in this system were focused on valuing
human life and honoring the dignity of survival. The curriculum guide for reading
and unique writing system practiced was known as baybayin. This informal but
practical educational system was interrupted and highly influenced by the country’s
colonial history (StudyCountry). That history has included periods of Spanish,

3. 3
American and Japanese rule during the colonial occupation (Cabrera, 2015). The
following discussion below detailed the development of an educational system in the
Philippines during the colonial era.
Spanish Period (1521 - 1896)
During Spanish Colonialism, the education system was formal and
concentrated on the Christian Doctrines. Though the schools established from
primary to tertiary level of education, however, the school for boys or “colegios”
separate from the school for the girls or “beaterio” and the middle class or
“Ilustrado”, who was composed of native-born intellectuals, were accommodated in
the schools. The tribal tutors such as parents and “babaylan” were changed by
missionaries or “friars” where the parochial turns into a Catholic doctrine school with
the catechism. Later, primary education became free through “Education Decree of
1863” wherein each town had “colegios” and “beaterio” depends on the size of the
population. There were 3 grades: entrada, acenso, and termino. The curriculum
required the study of Christian doctrine, values and history as well as reading and
writing in Spanish, mathematics, agriculture, etiquette, singing, world geography,
and Spanish history. Girls were also taught sewing. The Normal School, run by the
Jesuits, was also established which gave men the opportunity to study a three-year
teacher education for the primary level. Normal schools for women teachers were
not established until 1875, in Nueva Caceres. The method of teaching fashioned was
catechetical instruction, use of corporal punishment, rote memorization, and
instruction was in dialect. The Spanish Roles or educational system are the Friars
controlled the educational system, the missionaries took charge in teaching,
controlling and maintaining the rules and regulations, parochial schools were led by
Dominicans and Jesuits and the establishment of a normal school for male teachers
under the supervision of the Jesuits. Idealism-what is real is in the mind (Barcelona,
2017).
At the early Spanish period, most education was conducted by religious
orders. The church and the school both worked together. All Christian villages had
schools for students to attend. Spanish missionaries established schools immediately
after reaching the islands.
American Period (1898 - 1935)
The most fashion and continuing contributions came during the American
colonization of the country, which started in 1898. English was practiced and
introduced as the main language of instruction. The system of public education was
established and followed after the United States school system which managed by
the newly established Department of Instruction (Barcelona, 2017). At this period,
all the schools were closed for the time being because of the destruction of many
schools and to the peace and order condition. Education should be universal and
free for all regardless of sex, age, religion and socio-economic status of the

4. 4
individual. Act No. 74 established the public primary school in 1901 and intermediate
school in 1904 which provides free public education. Thomasites, the group of
professionals sent by the United State Government, were assigned to teach the
English language. In Act No. 372, all provinces were required to maintain a
provincial high school. Philippine Normal School was founded to train teachers
during 1901. On 1908, University of the Philippines was established. Education was
the means of giving people an orientation towards a democratic way of life.
The United States left a lasting impression on the Philippine school system.
Several colleges and universities were founded with the goal of educating the
nation’s teachers. In 1908, the University of the Philippines was chartered,
representing the first comprehensive public university in the nation’s history. Like
the United States, the Philippine nation has an extensive and highly inclusive system
of education, including higher education. In the present day, the United States
continues to influence the Philippines education system, as many of the country’s
teachers and professors have earned advanced degrees from United States
universities. The American contribution of the Philippine education system was
centralized and unified curriculum and formal structured and the existence of an
educational system. In 1899, there were more schools opened with 24 English-
language teachers and 4500 students. Under Act No. 74, a highly centralized
experimental public school system was installed in 1901 by the Philippine
Commission. Between 1901 and 1902, Philippine Commission authorized the
Secretary of Public Instruction to bring more than 1,000 teachers from the United
States, who were called the Thomasites, to the Philippines. These teachers were
scattered throughout the islands establish barangay schools. The same law
established the Philippine Normal School, now the Philippine Normal University, to
train aspiring Filipino teachers. The high school system was supported by provincial
governments and included special educational institutions, schools of arts and trades,
an agricultural school, and commerce and marine institutes, which were established
in 1902 by the Philippine Commission. In 1908 Act No. 372 was authorized the
opening of provincial high schools. At the same year, Act No. 1870 initiated the
opening of the University of the Philippines, now the country's national university
attainment. While Act No. 1381, also known as Gabaldon Law, was passed in 1907,
which provided a fund of a million pesos for construction of concrete school buildings
Filipinization policy of the government, the Reorganization Act of 1916 provided that
all department secretaries except the Secretary of Public Instruction must be a
natural-born Filipino (Barcelona, 2017). General Superintendent of Instruction was
the position of chief officer of the Bureau of Public Instruction. From General
Superintendent of Instruction, it was changed to General Superintendent of
education where was changed later to Director of Education by the Reorganization
Act 1407 which was passed on November 1, 1902 (DECS, 2000).

5. 5
Japanese Period (1941 – 1944)
Philippine Educational System during the Japanese regime was exemplified in
the Military Order No. 2 in 1942. Schools were revived in June 1942 with 300,000
learners through Commission of Education, Health and Public Welfare which
established by the Philippine Executive Commission. The Curriculum practiced
includes Tagalog, Philippine history, and character education. It focused on the love
for work and dignity for labor. There was plenty of scattering of elementary and
Vocational Education. Nippongo was to replace and exclusively used for the Filipino
people from using the English Language (Apacible, 2015).
The six basic principles of the Japanese education were realization of a new
order and promote friendly relations between Japan and the Philippines to the
farthest extent; foster a new Filipino culture based; endeavor to elevate the morals
of the people, giving up over emphasis to materialism; diffusion of the Japanese
language in the Philippines; promotion of Vocational Education; and to inspire people
with the spirit to love neighbor. The four pillars of the education system during the
Japanese period were learning to know, learning to do, learning to live together and
learning to be (De Guzman, 2013).
The Ministry of Education, fashioned by the Japanese Sponsored Republic,
started on October 14, 1943. In 1978, the Ministry of Education, by virtue of P.D.
No. 1397 became the Ministry of Education and Culture. Later in 1982, the
Education Act of 1982 formed the Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports 1987.
After, it became the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports by virtue of
Executive Order no. 117.
Post-colonial Period (1946 – present)
The development of Philippine education system progress up to a Trifocal
System: Department of Education, Culture and Sports (DECS) – elementary,
secondary and non-formal education, including sports; Technical Education and Skills
Development Authority (TESDA) – post-secondary, middle-level manpower training;
and development and Commission on Higher Education (CHED) – higher education.
It further developed in terms of school leadership and management through R.A.
9155 or known as Governance of Basic Education Act 2001. Until the DECS later
became the now known as Department of Education. The goal of basic education
was to provide the school age population and young adults with skills, knowledge,
and values to become caring, self-reliant, productive and patriotic citizens (De
Guzman, 2013). Tertiary Education/ Higher Education CHED is in charge of the
formulation and implementation of policies, plans, and programs for the development
and efficient operation of the higher education system in the country. The delivery of
higher education in the Philippines is delivered by private and public higher education
institutions (HEIs). There were three Degree Stages of Higher Education - Bachelor
Degrees with a minimum of 4 years in duration, Master Degrees with 2 years,

6. 6
culminating with minor thesis or comprehensive examination and Doctoral Degrees
that contain a great deal of coursework, as well as the dissertation. Non-Formal
Education and Alternative Learning System is not only a supplement and complement
of formal education but is an essential element of a lifelong learning system. Non-
formal Education plays a very significant role in national development. It was the
single effective mode of providing education to the numerous of out-of-school youths
and adults. It enabled them to contribute more efficiently and effectively in the
various development programs of the government (Barcelona, 2017).
The start of this century’s second decade saw a major improvement in the
Philippine education system. In 2011, DepEd started to implement the new K-12
educational system, which includes the new curricula for all schools. In this system,
education is now compulsory. The implementation of the K-12 program is “phased”.
The K-12 Program means Kindergarten and the 12 years of elementary and
secondary education.
The Emergence of New K – 12 Program
The government aims to compete in the international community and enhance the
quality of education in order to have tough and successful Filipino people, not only
for himself and his family but also to the country. Nevertheless, the existing
education system thwarts from becoming even more competitive.
Therefore, the key to unleash the Philippine education system and to achieve the
dream of every Filipino is the implementation of the K-12 education plan in the
Philippine Basic Education Curriculum. The government may be fixing numerous
challenges in the implementation of the program however it is essential for the
advancement from the very urgent and critical demands of the quality of education
(Navarro, 2014).
Since this program is firsthand experience and new to the Filipino, it is normal to
have some doubts and resistance due to the lack of information about this K to 12
Basic Education Program. This manuscript discusses the whole nature and programs
of the K to 12 Basic Education Program.
What is K to 12 Basic Education Program?
The K to 12 Basic Education Program (BEP) starts from Kindergarten, six years
of primary education, four years of Junior High School, and two years of Senior High
School (SHS). It aims to offer enough time for mastery of concepts and skills,
improve lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level
skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship (Department of Education,
2014).

7. 7
These are the following salient features of K to 12 BEP:
 Strengthening Early Childhood Education (Universal Kindergarten)
From the research-based review, the Universal Kindergarten program was
crafted and become part of the K to 12 BEP. The study shows that children who
experienced Kindergarten and complete a standards-based Kindergarten program
have improved completion rates and well prepared for primary education than those
who did not. Furthermore, education for children in the early years lays the
foundation for lifelong learning and for the total development of a child. Besides, the
early years of a human being, from 0 to 6 years, are the most critical period when
the brain grows to at least 60-70 percent of adult size.
This program provides every Filipino child access to early childhood education
through Universal Kindergarten. As early as 5 years old, children begin schooling for
him to slowly adjust and be acquainted with formal education. In Kindergarten,
pupils acquire the alphabet, numbers, shapes, and colors through games, songs, and
dances, in their Mother Tongue.
 Making the Curriculum Relevant to Learners (Contextualization and
Enhancement)
Contextualization means the lessons must be made relevant to the learners
and easy to understand. All examples, activities, songs, poems, stories, and
illustrations are based on local culture, history, and reality. Students gain in-depth
knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes through continuity and consistency across all
levels and subjects. The enhanced curriculum contains sharing of thoughts on
matters such as Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Climate Change Adaptation, and
Information & Communication Technology (ICT).
 Building Proficiency through Language (Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual
Education)
The twelve (12) Mother Tongue languages have been presented for SY 2012-
2013: Bahasa Sug, Bikol, Cebuano, Chabacano, Hiligaynon, Iloko, Kapampangan,
Maguindanaoan, Meranao, Pangasinense, Tagalog, and Waray. The rest of some
local languages will be included in succeeding school years. Through this, students
are capacitated to absorb best from the different learning competencies through
their first language, their Mother Tongue (MT).
However, in order to globally competitive English and Filipino are taught as
subjects starting Grade 1, with a focus on oral fluency. From Grades 4 to 6, English
and Filipino are progressively familiarized as languages of instruction. Both will
become primary languages of instruction in Junior High School (JHS) and Senior High
School (SHS). After Grade 1, every student can read in his or her Mother Tongue.

8. 8
Learning in Mother Tongue also serves as the foundation for students to learn
Filipino and English easily.
 Ensuring Integrated and Seamless Learning (Spiral Progression)
Subjects are taught from the simplest concepts to more complicated concepts
through grade levels in spiral progression. As early as elementary, students gain
knowledge in areas such as Biology, Geometry, Earth Science, Chemistry, and
Algebra. This ensures mastery of knowledge and skills after each level. For example,
currently in High School, Biology is taught in 2nd Year, Chemistry in 3rd Year, and
Physics in 4th Year. In K to 12, these subjects are connected and integrated from
Grades 7 to 10. This same method is used in other Learning Areas like Math.
 Gearing Up for the Future (Senior High School)
Senior High School is two years of specialized upper secondary education;
students may choose a specialization based on aptitude, interests, and school
capacity. The choice of career track will define the content of the subjects a student
will take in Grades 11 and 12. SHS subjects fall under either the Core Curriculum or
specific Tracks.
There are seven Learning Areas under the Core Curriculum. These are
Languages, Literature, Communication, Mathematics, Philosophy, Natural Sciences,
and Social Sciences. Current content from some General Education subjects is
embedded in the SHS curriculum.
TRACKS
Each student in Senior High School can choose among three tracks: Academic;
Technical-Vocational-Livelihood; and Sports and Arts. The Academic track includes
three strands: Business, Accountancy, Management (BAM); Humanities, Education,
Social Sciences (HESS); and Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM).
Students undergo immersion, which may include earn-while-you-learn opportunities,
to provide them relevant exposure and actual experience in their chosen track.
TVET (TECHNICAL VOCATIONAL EDUCATION & TRAINING) NATIONAL CERTIFICATE
After finishing Grade 10, a student can obtain Certificates of Competency
(COC) or a National Certificate Level I (NC I). After finishing a Technical-Vocational-
Livelihood track in Grade 12, a student may obtain a National Certificate Level II (NC
II), provided he/she passes the competency-based assessment of the Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). NC I and NC II improve the
employability of graduates in fields like Agriculture, Electronics, and Trade.

9. 9
MODELING BEST PRACTICES FOR SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL
In SY 2012-2013, there are 33 public high schools, public technical-vocational
high schools, and higher education institutions (HEIs) that have implemented Grade
11. This is a Research and Design (R&D) program to simulate different aspects of
Senior High School in preparation for full nationwide implementation in SY 2016-
2017. Modeling programs offered by these schools are based on students’ interests,
community needs, and their respective capacities.
NURTURING THE HOLISTICALLY DEVELOPED FILIPINO (COLLEGE AND LIVELIHOOD
READINESS, 21ST CENTURY SKILLS)
After going through Kindergarten, the enhanced Elementary and Junior High
curriculum, and a specialized Senior High program, every K to 12 graduate will be
ready to go into different paths – may it be further education, employment, or
entrepreneurship. Every graduate will be equipped with Information, media and
technology skills; Learning and innovation skills, Effective communication skills, and
Life and career skills.
How will K to 12 affect the college curriculum?
The College General Education curriculum will have fewer units. Subjects that
have been taken up in Basic Education will be removed from the College General
Education curriculum. Details of the new GE Curriculum may be found in CHED
Memorandum Order No. 20, series of 2013.
There are variations between the present and the revised General Education
Curriculum. To mention one, the present GE program has plainly enunciated goals
and outcomes, while the orthodox emphasis the structure and content of required GE
courses. Before focused on knowledge but this present GE program highlights
competencies without ignoring to the standard emphasis on content, critical
capabilities reaching from detecting bias, appreciating the outcome of perception on
the construction and understanding of history, and inferring facts. From the existing
requirement of 63/51 units, a minimum of 36 units of courses only across the three
basic domains of math and sciences, social sciences and philosophy, and arts and
humanities by taking away remedial courses that duplicate subjects in Grades 11 and
12 and introductory courses to the disciplines. Lastly, it provides an element of
choice through nine units of elective courses and futuristic, making students ready
for life in this century (CHED, 2017).
Summary
Education is essential to a person, as well as to the society, for having it there
would be a continuous imparting of knowledge down to the ages and all the standard
of values. Education as a system, primarily, may be seen as a part of the whole
social system. Nowadays, in contemporary society, the education system is observed

10. 10
as formal schools. Thus, the Philippine education system understood as a subsystem
within a complex learning organization that develops, promotes, provides and
ensures basic education.
In a home setting, the educational system was an apprenticeship, where the
learner had direct and actual learning taught by the parents and guided by the
babaylan. The core values in this system were focused on valuing human life and
honoring the dignity of survival. Though the schools established from primary to
tertiary level of education, however, the school for boys or colegios separates from
the school for the girls or beaterio and the middle class or Ilustrado, who was
composed of native-born intellectuals, were accommodated in the schools. Girls
were also taught sewing. The Normal School, run by the Jesuits, was also
established which gave men the opportunity to study a three-year teacher education
for the primary level. The Spanish Roles or educational system are the Friars
controlled the educational system, the missionaries took charge in teaching,
controlling and maintaining the rules and regulations, parochial schools were led by
Dominicans and Jesuits and the establishment of a normal school for male teachers
under the supervision of the Jesuits. Spanish missionaries established schools
immediately after reaching the islands. The system of public education was
established and followed after the United States school system which managed by
the newly established Department of Instruction. Act No. 74 established the public
primary school in 1901 and intermediate school in 1904 which provides free public
education. In the present day, the United States continues to influence the
Philippines education system, as many of the country’s teachers and professors have
earned advanced degrees from United States universities. The same law established
the Philippine Normal School, now the Philippine Normal University, to train aspiring
Filipino teachers. The high school system was supported by provincial governments
and included special educational institutions, schools of arts and trades, an
agricultural school, and commerce and marine institutes, which were established in
1902 by the Philippine Commission. The six basic principles of the Japanese
education were realization of a new order and promote friendly relations between
Japan and the Philippines to the farthest extent; foster a new Filipino culture based;
endeavor to elevate the morals of the people, giving up over emphasis to
materialism; diffusion of the Japanese language in the Philippines; promotion of
Vocational Education; and to inspire people with the spirit to love neighbor. The four
pillars of the education system during the Japanese period were learning to know,
learning to do, learning to live together and learning to be. In 1978, the Ministry of
Education, by virtue of P.D. No. 1397 became the Ministry of Education and Culture.
The development of Philippine education system progress up to a Trifocal System:
Department of Education, Culture and Sports covers elementary, secondary and non-
formal education, including sports; Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority for post-secondary with middle-level manpower training and development;
and Commission on Higher Education designed for higher education. In 2011,

11. 11
DepEd started to implement the new K-12 educational system, which includes the
new curricula for all schools.
Therefore, the key to unleash the Philippine education system and to achieve
the dream of every Filipino is the implementation of the K-12 education plan in the
Philippine Basic Education Curriculum. The K to 12 Basic Education Program starts
from Kindergarten, six years of primary education, four years of Junior High School,
and two years of Senior High School. Senior High School is two years of specialized
upper secondary education; students may choose a specialization based on aptitude,
interests, and school capacity. In SY 2012-2013, there are 33 public high schools,
public technical-vocational high schools, and higher education institutions that have
implemented Grade 11. After going through Kindergarten, the enhanced Elementary
and Junior High curriculum, and a specialized Senior High program, every K to 12
graduate will be ready to go into different paths may it be further education,
employment, or entrepreneurship.

12. 12
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Country Guide: https://www.studycountry.com/guide/PH-education.htm