A supposed advisory from the Department of Education on holding Saturday classes for elementary and high school students starting July 5 is circulating online. This is fabricated.
On June 26, a Facebook page posted a graphic bearing DepEd’s logo and claiming that basic education learners will now have Saturday classes in addition to the regular Monday to Friday schedule.
The graphic bore the text:
“MAY PASOK NA TUWING SABADO ANG MGA BATA, ELEMETARY (sic), JUNIOR AT SENIOR HIGHSCHOOL, SIMUlA NGAYONG JULY 5, 2025 (THERE WILL NOW BE CLASSES EVERY SATURDAY FOR CHILDREN, ELEMENTARY, JUNIOR AND SENIOR HIGHSCHOOL, STARTING JULY 5, 2025). SATURDAY CLASSES. See Post For More Details!”
This is not true. The education department did not make such an announcement and it has disowned the circulating graphic, calling it “fake.”
In a July 1 FB post, DepEd warned about the fake announcement and reminded netizens to get updates and information on basic education only from official social media accounts.
The post with the fake graphic also carried a link that leads users to a product website.
The fake post started circulating 10 days after the June 16 opening of public schools for academic year 2025-2026. According to DepEd’s Multi-Year Implementing Guidelines on the School Calendar and Activities, the current school year will end March 21, 2026 and consists of 197 class days. It does not mention anything about additional Saturday classes.
In May last year, DepEd presented the option of adding Saturday classes, but President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos disagreed, saying such an arrangement would jeopardize the student’s well-being.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara also mentioned in November 2024 the possibility of adding Saturday classes to catch up on the school days disrupted by typhoons, but no action has been taken regarding the proposal.
VERA Files has debunked several fake graphics attributed to the education department.
The post by the FB page Education News Update (created on June 19) garnered 1,100 reactions, 128 comments and 8,600 shares. At least three FB users and another page also reposted the graphic, collectively garnering 1,075 reactions, 675 comments and 2,272 shares.
