REPUBLIC Act No. 12322 has officially lapsed into law on August 2, 2026, amending Section 5 of Republic Act No. 10533, or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013. The landmark legislation grants the Department of Education (DepEd) full flexibility to determine and implement the most effective pedagogical approaches in the basic education curriculum.
“Every generation deserves an education that responds to its evolving needs. I believe that Republic Act No. 12322 advances a more responsive, effective, and learner-centered basic education system that provides our learners the opportunity to reach their full potential,” said Rep. Roman Romulo.
“Ang binabago ng batas ay hindi na ito magiging mandatory ang spiral progression, upang mabigyan ang DepEd, mga paaralan, at mga guro ng mas malaking flexibility na gamitin ang paraang pinakamainam para sa kanilang mga estudyante. Ang batas na ito’y isang mahalagang hakbang tungo sa pagresolba ng education crisis at makatutulong para mapataas ang proficiency at literacy sa ating mga paaralan,” echoed Sen. Bam Aquino
The law directly addresses long-standing structural challenges identified during the Second Congressional Commission on Education’s (EDCOM 2) nationwide consultations with educators. Under the amended law, DepEd is no longer bound to a rigid, mandatory spiral progression approach, allowing the agency to adopt discipline-based or alternative instructional models that better serve the mastery of concepts. The law also mandates that the basic education curriculum and its corresponding pedagogical strategies undergo a systematic review by DepEd at least once every five years to ensure ongoing relevance and effectiveness..
EDCOM 2 baseline data and research highlighted significant challenges with the forced application of the spiral progression design across all subjects. Field consultations revealed that changing disciplines every quarter in subjects like Science created disjointed learning patterns, preventing students from achieving deep conceptual understanding. The Commission’s evaluations noted a mismatch between pre-service teacher training, which typically specializes in single disciplines, and the multi-disciplinary demands of the spiral format. The Commission found that top-performing institutions such as the Philippine Science High School system achieved superior student outcomes by adhering to discipline-based models rather than forced spiral structures.
With RA 12322 in effect, DepEd can now align curriculum design with teacher specializations, streamline scope and sequence, and focus resources on foundational literacy, numeracy, and subject mastery. EDCOM 2 remains committed to working alongside DepEd during the implementation phase to monitor policy outcomes and ensure that these structural reforms deliver tangible improvements in learning outcomes nationwide.
The law was co-authored by EDCOM 2 Co-Chairpersons Sen. Bam Aquino and Rep. Roman Romulo, together with EDCOM 2 Commissioners Sen. Loren Legarda, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, Rep. Zia Alonto-Adiong, and Rep. Anna Victoria Veloso-Tuazon.
About the Author
