Classes resume Jan. 5 – DepEd

MANILA, Philippines - Christmas break for public elementary and high school students will start on Dec. 20, with classes scheduled to resume on Jan. 5, 2015, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).

The schedule for the Christmas break of public school students is based on a department order issued by DepEd Secretary Armin Luistro earlier this year.

“The department order directs the heads of public and private elementary and secondary institutions nationwide to follow the school calendar,” it read. “Private schools, however, may choose to depart from DepEd’s official calendar.”

Meanwhile, the University of the Philippines will have a mandatory holiday break from Dec. 18 to Jan. 4.

In a memorandum, UP president Alfredo Pascual said the break “will ensure the promotion of work and life balance for UP faculty and staff, generate savings in utilities and maintenance, as well as encourage administrative efficiency in planning and scheduling work.” Pascual said in a memorandum.

“All offices will be closed during the mandatory holiday break period, except for units which need to operate with a small number of essential employees,” he said.

Among the offices that would operate during the break are the university health services, security and police services, sanitation and emergency campus maintenance and sanitation.

Included in the mandatory holiday break in all UP campuses nationwide are Dec. 18, 19, 22, 23 and 29.

“Kindly plan and schedule your work to ensure that all transactions and the relevant required reports are completed by Dec. 17,” Pascual told UP employees.

The remaining days in the period covered by the long break are either weekends or declared special non-working or regular holidays.