TACLOBAN CITY, June 4 -- The Department of Education in Eastern Visayas (DepEd-8) is confident that implementing the new three-term school calendar will help address low reading comprehension levels in the region by providing more time for classroom instruction and targeted remediation.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, DepEd-8 Director Salustiano Jimenez said the revised academic calendar is designed to directly tackle learning gaps, particularly in reading.

"In the old calendar, some school days focused on extracurriculars. Under the new calendar, instruction remains uninterrupted, and teachers can schedule targeted remediation at the end of each term for struggling learners," Jimenez said.

The new calendar features an end-of-term ...