In the Context of the K to 12 Basic Education Program 19. The DepEd began its implementation of the K to 12 Basic Education Program in 2012. One of the most significant changes that came with the K to 12 is the introduction of the additional two (2) years in the country’s basic education system or SHS, as prescribed in Republic Act No. 10533 or the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013.48 DepEd welcomed its first batch of Grade 11 students in 2016 and made history with its first senior high school graduation in 2018.49 20. The K to 12 Program is one of the country’s most significant educational reforms. Part of its goals is to “develop in learners the competencies, work ethic, and values relevant to pursuing further education and/or joining the world of work.”50 The SHS was designed for three (3) possible exits: toward (i) higher education, (ii) middle-level skills development, and (iii) employment or entrepreneurship.51 21. The program’s core curriculum covers seven learning areas: Languages, Literature, Communication, Mathematics, Philosophy, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences. Some General Education (GE) subjects as well are embedded in the SHS curriculum.52 Based on these learning areas, the SHS core subjects include Oral Communication; Reading and Writing; Komunikasyon at Pananaliksik sa Wika at Kulturang Pilipino; Pagbabasa at Pagsusuri ng Iba’t Ibang Teksto Tungo sa Pananaliksik; 21st Century Literature from the Philippines and the World; Contemporary Philippine Arts from the Regions; Media and Information Literacy; General Math; Statistics and Probability; Earth and Life Science; Physical Science; Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person; Physical Education and Health; Personal Development; Understanding Culture, Society and Politics; Earth Science; and Disaster Readiness and Risk Reduction.53 22. With this goal comes a paradigm shift in education wherein SHS graduates are assumed to have the competencies and skills not just for further studies but also for employment. In other words, those who have completed senior high school are expected to be employment-ready upon their graduation. 23. However, in a policy note published in the Philippine Institute for Development Studies (PIDS) assessing the K to 12 Transition Program and the functions of CHED’s Program Management Unit (PMU), Brillantes (2018) identifies several administrative issues in the program’s implementation.54 These include inadequate preparation for K to 12, lack of absorptive capacities of CHED and its PMU, underdeveloped internal 48 An Act Enhancing the Philippine Basic Education System by Strengthening Its Curriculum and Increasing the Number of Years for Basic Education, Appropriating Funds Therefor and for Other Purposes [ENHANCED BASIC EDUCATION ACT OF 2013], Republic Act No. 10533 (2013). 49 Ma. Teresa Montemayor, 2018 Senior High School implementation exceeds DepEd outlook, PHILIPPINE NEWS AGENCY, Dec. 28, 2018, available at https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1057609 (last accessed June 21, 2022). 50 Department of Education, Guidelines for Work Immersion, DepEd Order No. 30, s. 2017, (June 5, 2017). 51 Aniceto C. Orbeta Jr. & Maropsil V. Potestad, On the Employability of the Senior High School Graduates: Evidence from the Labor Force Survey, PIDS Discussion Paper Series No. 2020-40, (2020). 52 What is the K to 12 Program?, Curriculum Guide – Senior High (Grades 11-12), available at https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/k-12/#:~:text=11%20and%2012.,Each%20student%20in%20Senior%20High%20School%20can%20choose%20among%20three,Engineering%2C%20Ma thematics%20(STEM) (last accessed July 9, 2022). 53 Department of Education, Senior High School Core Curriculum Subjects, available at deped.gov.ph/k-to-12/about/k-to12-basic-education-curriculum/senior-high-school-core-curriculum-subjects/ (last accessed July 9, 2022). 18