Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on May 21 approved a proposal to end the school year 2024-2025 on April 15 - a schedule that allows for basic education schools to gradually revert to the old calendar without holding Saturday classes to meet the required number of school days.
Students use a cardboard to protect themselves from the sun during a hot day in Manila on April 2, 2024. (Photo: philstar.com)
Hanoi (VNA) – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on May 21 approved a proposal to end the school year 2024-2025 on April 15 - a schedule that allows for basic education schools to gradually revert to the old calendar without holding Saturday classes to meet the required number of school days.
The approved proposal retains the July 29 start of classes and pushes back the end of classes about a month earlier than originally planned by the Department of Education (DepEd).
The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) said in a press release that this will start the country's gradual return to the old June-March school calendar, which students and teachers have been clamoring for after extreme temperatures driven by climate change forced thousands of schools to suspend in-person classes in April and May.
Prior to this, Vice President and DepEd Secretary Sara Duterte presented the president with two proposed calendars for SY 2024-2025 after consulting teachers, school officials and parents.
The first proposal included 182 days, with 15 Saturdays requiring in-person attendance. The second option proposed a shorter 167-day school year, eliminating Saturday classes altogether. Both plans scheduled the end of classes on March 31, 2025.
According to the office, Marcos expressed reservations about a 167-day school year due to its possible negative impact on student learning due to reduced classroom time.
✤ Marcos said he also had concerns about student well-being and the additional resources required to hold Saturday classes./.
The extreme heat across most of Thailand over the past time has seriously affected production, socio-economic and the environment in the Southeast Asian country “as never seen before”, experts said on May 8.
Durian is one of the key export products that bring high profits in Thailand. However, a vicious heat wave raging in Southeast Asia has resulted in smaller yields and spiraling costs.
The northern region and central provinces from Thanh Hoa to Phu Yen are forecast to continue experiencing a heat wave on July 26 with peak temperature up to 35-37 degrees Celsius, even over 37 degrees Celsius in some places, according to the National Centre for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting (NCHMF).
Thai Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Commerce Vuttikrai Leewiraphan Thailand's formal proposal will be substantial enough for the US to consider further detailed negotiations. He hoped for a tariff rate not exceeding 10% and suggested that the US might extend the negotiation period if an agreement is not reached by the July 8 deadline.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture and the Association of Thai Silk & Culture Promotions, the event honors Her Majesty the Queen on her 47th birthday anniversary and promotes Thai craftsmanship on an international stage.
Prensa Latina's recent article on Vietnam’s assurance of smooth and effective transition to a leaner structure highlighted Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh’s latest directions on implementing 28 resolutions regarding the decentralisation and delegation of authority.
The lab focuses on four key thematic areas: energy transition and green innovation, sustainable agriculture, circular economy and sustainable cities, and nature-based solutions and biodiversity.
The key content of the document titled "Accelerating Innovative Strategies: Addressing the OOSCY Challenges" will be refined further in a seminar preceding the 47th ASEAN Summit in Kuala Lumpur this October.
This follows Telegram’s serious failure to address the content that has been repeatedly reported to them, despite various efforts of negotiation and cooperation made by MCMC, it said.
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The forum featured two in-depth discussion sessions, engaging representatives from governments, think tanks, and businesses from both ASEAN and China, on how to forge closer ties for a common future.
The new FIFA Hub in Jakarta will not only support football development in Indonesia but also serve as a coordination centre for 21 football associations across Southeast and East Asia.
Minister Counselor Nguyen Hoang Nguyen reaffirmed Vietnam’s principled and consistent stance on the Palestine issue, calling for an immediate and lasting ceasefire across the entire Gaza Strip.
PM Anwar Ibrahim affirmed the determination of Malaysia, as ASEAN Chair for 2025, to utilise all viable regional mechanisms of the bloc and work with partners to de-escalate violence and restore a peace process led by Myanmar.
Talking to the Vietnam News Agency on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the Vietnam’s Revolutionary Press Day (June 21, 1925–2025), Nikulina, who is also a veteran journalist of Russia’s Sputnik News, emphasised the vital role of mainstream journalism in defending the truth and maintaining public trust.
The Ministry of Commerce reported that imports also rose 18% to 29.9 billion USD during the same period, resulting in a trade surplus of 1.1 billion USD. In May alone, Thailand posted a 4.6 billion USD trade surplus with the US and a 4.1 billion USD trade deficit with China.
The World Bank will provide a 2.1 billion USD financing package for Indonesia, focusing oncreating jobs, stimulating economic growth, and enhancing access to clean energy across the country.
Member states also reviewed progress on six priority areas for 2025, including the development of an underground cable framework, the follow-up agreement to the ASEAN Petroleum Security Agreement (APSA), the launch of the ASEAN Energy Efficiency Database, and the rollout of an investment platform for sustainable building initiatives.
In March, Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra met with Formula 1 chief Stefano Domenicali and said Thailand would commission a feasibility study into hosting a Grand Prix on a Bangkok street circuit from 2028.
The proposed giant sea wall aligns with bilateral cooperation and has been designated a national priority, considering that several regions in Indonesia are experiencing land subsidence of 10–15 centimetres per year.
International flights were cancelled including Jetstar and Virgin Australia flights to cities across Australia, and flights of Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore's TigerAir and China's Juneyao Airlines.
The partnership aims to strengthen collaboration in the exploration and exploitation of mineral resources, including gold, copper, and manganese, as well as in the development of steel, aluminum, and renewable energy industries.
