Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said the House of Representatives is now carefully studying recommendations for the Philippines to adopt a new school calendar that would be in sync with  those of fellow member-countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. (Asean).

The Commission on Higher Education, which monitors the performance  of the country’s universities and colleges, noted that changing the academic calendar may be necessary to help the Philippines take advantage of the economic integration of the Asean member-states in 2015.

But the Department of Education, which supervises over basic education, cautioned against rushing to move the school opening to the rainy month of September due to differing climate conditions in different parts of the country.

“We cannot please everybody. But for universities, maybe it’s okay to jibe with ASEAN universities’ schedules,” Belmonte said.

Belmonte, who is also the honorary chairperson of the National Unity Party (NUP) noted that there are pending measures in the House to move the school opening from June to September.

NUP lawmaker Karlo Nograles , who represents Davao City’s first district, supported calls to revise the school opening schedule,  saying  that “change is inevitable” and the country’s educational institutions must synchronize their calendars with those of their counterparts in the ASEAN.

“We cannot stand solo in the community of nations; otherwise, we might find ourselves left behind,” he said.

Earlier,  the University of the Philippines (UP), Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU), De La Salle University (DLSU) and the University of Santo Tomas (UST), expressed their intention to shift their academic calendar by 2015. These educational institutions can do so without an implementing law because they enjoy autonomous status from the CHED.