Key Features of the Strengthened Senior High School Program

 The Senior High School (SHS) program, established under Republic Act 10533, aims to prepare students for higher education, employment, entrepreneurship, and middle-level skills development. It focuses on instilling core values and lifelong competencies to enable meaningful contributions to society. However, since its full implementation in 2016, the program has struggled with insufficient infrastructure, a lack of specialized teachers, and weak industry partnerships. Consultations and reviews reveal that the current curriculum is overly fragmented, with too many subjects, limited elective options, and inadequate instructional time. Research on labor market outcomes also reveals that SHS graduates see minimal economic benefits over Grade 10 or second-year college completers (Orbeta, 2020), highlighting the urgent need for targeted curriculum reforms and stronger industry collaboration.

Given this context, the Department of Education is strengthening the SHS program, anchored on the following goals:

• Streamlining our tracks and subjects
• Prioritizing student choice
• Ensuring that student options are stackable and seamless
• Making our learners employable

The following are the Key Features of the Strengthened Senior High School Program:

1. The core subjects were streamlined from 15 per semester to 5 per year to increase the time for the most essential topics.

The key competencies from related core subjects have been merged, thus reducing the original 15 core subjects to just 5. These subjects will now be offered throughout the entire year of Grade 11 instead of being limited to a single semester. All SHS students are required to take the core subjects.

5 Proposed Core Subjects:

1. Effective Communication/Mabisang Komunikasyon
2. Life Skills
3. General Mathematics
4. General Science
5. Pag-aaral ng Kasaysayan ay Lipunang Pilipino

All subjects that are not part of the core will be called “electives”, rather than “applied” and

“specialized” subjects.

Available subjects (electives) have been streamlined and updated.

All subjects that are not part of the core will be called “electives”, rather than “applied” and

“specialized” subjects.

2. Available subjects (electives) have been streamlined and updated.

The new subjects (electives) are grouped into the following clusters:

• Arts, Social Sciences, and Humanities
• Business and Entrepreneurship
• Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM)
• Sports, Health, and Wellness
• Field Experience
• Agriculture and Fishery Arts (AFA)
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• Family and Consumer Science (FCS)
• Industrial Arts (IA)
• Maritime

Subjects are grouped into clusters to help schools efficiently organize teachers and learning

resources. However, clusters are not the same as strands because schools are not required to offer

all electives within a cluster, and students can choose electives across multiple clusters.

ACADEMIC CLUSTERS

ARTS, SOCIAL SCIENCES, AND HUMANITIES

• Citizenship and Civic Engagement
• Creative Industries (Visual, Media,
• Applied, and Traditional Art)
• Creative Industries (Music, Dance, Theater)
• Creative Writing
• Cultivating Filipino Identity Through the Arts
• Filipino sa Isports
• Filipino sa Sining at Disenyo
• Filipino sa Teknikal-Propesyonal
• Introduction to the Philosophy of the Human Person
• Leadership and Management in the Arts
• Malikhaing Pagsulat
• Philippine Politics and Governance
• The Social Sciences in Theory and Practice
• Wika at Komunikasyon sa Akademikong Filipino

BUSINESS AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP

• Basic Accounting
• Business Finance and Income Taxation
• Contemporary Marketing and Business
• Economics
• Entrepreneurship
• Introduction to Organization and Management

FIELD EXPERIENCE

• Arts Apprenticeship – Theater Arts (160 hours)
• Pre-requisites : Creative Industries (Visual, Media, Applied, and Traditional Art) and/or Creative Industries (Music, Dance, Theater)
• Cultivating Filipino Identity Through the Arts
• Leadership and Management in the Arts
• Arts Apprenticeship – Dance (160 hours)
• Pre-requisites: Creative Industries (Visual, Media, Applied, and Traditional Art) and/or Creative Industries (Music, Dance, Theater)
• Cultivating Filipino Identity Through the Arts
• Leadership and Management in the Arts
• Arts Apprenticeship – Music (160 hours)
• Pre-requisites: Creative Industries (Visual, Media, Applied, and Traditional Art) and/or Creative Industries (Music, Dance, Theater)
• Cultivating Filipino Identity Through the Arts
• Leadership and Management in the Arts
• Arts Apprenticeship – Literary Arts (160 hours)
• Pre-requisites: Creative Industries (Visual, Media, Applied, and Traditional Art) and/or Creative Industries (Music, Dance, Theater)
• Cultivating Filipino Identity Through the Arts
• Leadership and Management in the Arts
• Arts Apprenticeship – Visual, Media, Applied, and Traditional Art (160 hours)
• Pre-requisites: Creative Industries (Visual, Media, Applied, and Traditional Art) and/or Creative Industries (Music, Dance, Theater)
• Cultivating Filipino Identity Through the Arts
• Leadership and Management in the Arts
• Creative Production and Presentation (160 hours)
• Pre-requisites: Creative Industries (Visual, Media, Applied, and Traditional Art) and/or Creative Industries (Music, Dance, Theater), Cultivating Filipino Identity Through the Arts, Leadership and Management in the Arts, any Arts Apprenticeship
• Research Methods
• Work Immersion (320 to 640 hours)
• Work Immersion elective is optional for the Academic Track but required for the TechPro track.
• Field Exposure (In-Campus) (160 hours)
• Pre-requisites: Introduction to Human Movement, Sports Activity Management, Sports Coaching, Sports Officiating 
• Design and Innovation (160 hours)
• Pre-requisite: Research Methods
• *Field Exposure (Off-Campus) (320 hours)
• *To take field exposure (off-campus), the prereqs under any cluster must have been completed.
• Business & Entrepreneurship
• 1.Basic Accounting
• 2.Business Finance and Income Taxation
• 3.Contemporary Marketing and Business Economics
• 4.Entrepreneurship
• 5.Introduction to Organization and Management
• Science, Technology, Engineering, & Mathematics
• 1.General Mathematics 1-2
• 2.Any of the following bundles:
• Biology 1-2
• Chemistry 1-2
• Earth and Space Science 1-2
• Physics 1-2
• Sports, Health, & Wellness
• 1.Exercise and Sports Programming
• 2.Introduction to Human Movement
• 3.Safety and First Aid
• 4.Sports Activity Management
• 5.Sports Coaching
• 6.Sports Officiating
• 7.Field Exposure (In-Campus)

SPORTS, HEALTH, AND WELLNESS

• Exercise and Sports Programming
• Introduction to Human Movement
• Physical Education (Fitness and Recreation)
• Physical Education (Sports and Dance)
• Safety and First Aid
• Sports Coaching
• Sports Officiating
• Sports Activity Management

SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY, ENGINEERING, AND MATHEMATICS

• Advanced Mathematics 1 - 2
• Biology 1 - 2
• Biology 3 - 4
• Pre-requisite: Biology 1 - 2
• Chemistry 1 - 2
• Chemistry 3 - 4
• Pre-requisite: Chemistry 1 - 2
• Database Management
• Earth and Space Science 1 - 2
• Earth and Space Science 3 - 4
• Pre-requisite: Earth and Space Science 1 - 2
• Empowerment Technologies
• Finite Mathematics
• Fundamentals of Data Analytics and Management
• General Science (Physical Science)
• General Science (Earth and Life Science)
• Pre-Calculus 1 - 2
• Physics 1 - 2
• Physics 3 - 4
• Pre-requisite: Physics 1 - 2
• Trigonometry 1 - 2

TECHPRO CLUSTERS

AGRICULTURE AND FISHERY ARTS (AFA)

• Agricultural Crops Production (NC II)
• Agro-Entrepreneurship (NC II)
• Aquaculture (NC II)
• Fish Capture Operation (NC II)
• Food Processing (NC II)
• Organic Agriculture Production (NC II)
• Poultry Production – Chicken (NC II)
• Ruminants Production (NC II)
• Swine Production (NC II)

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY (ICT)

• Animation (NC II)
• Broadband Installation (NCII)
• Computer Programming (Java) (NC III)
• Computer Programming (Oracle Database (NC III)
• Computer Systems Servicing (NC II)
• Contact Center Services (NC II)
• Illustration (NC II)
• Programming (.NET Technology) (NC III)
• Visual Graphic Design (NC III)
• FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCE (FCS)
• Aesthetic Services (NC II)
• Bakery Operation (NC II)
• Caregiving (Adult Care) (NC II)
• Caregiving (Child Care) (NC II)
• Events Management Services (NC III)
• Food and Beverage Operation (NC II)
• Garments Artisanry (NC II)
• Hairdressing Services (NC II)
• Handicraft: Weaving (NC II)
• Kitchen Operations (NC II)
• Tourism Services (NC II)
• Hotel Operations (Front Office Services) (NC II)
• Hotel Operations (Housekeeping Services) (NC II)
• Hilot and Wellness Massage*
• Barbering Services*

INDUSTRIAL ARTS (IA)

• Automotive Servicing (Engine and Chassis) (NC II)
• Pre-requisite: Driving and Automotive Servicing
• (Driving NC II and Automotive Servicing NC I)
• Automotive Servicing (Electrical) (NC II)
• Pre-requisite: Driving and Automotive Servicing
• (Driving NC II and Automotive Servicing NC I)
• Carpentry (NC I and NC II)
• Construction Operation (Masonry NC I and Tiles Plumbing NC II)
• Commercial Air-Conditioning Installation and Servicing (NC III)
• Pre-requisite: Domestic Refrigeration and Air-conditioning (DomRAC) Servicing
• Domestic Refrigeration and Air-Conditioning (DomRAC) Servicing (NC II)
• Driving and Automotive Servicing (Driving NC II and Automotive Servicing NC I)
• Electrical Installation Maintenance (NC II)
• Electronics Product and Assembly Servicing (NC II)
• Manual Metal Arc Welding (NC II)
• Mechatronics (NC II)
• Pre-requisite: Electronics Product and Assembly Servicing (NC II)
• Motorcycle and Small Engine Servicing (NC II)
• Photovoltaic System Installation (NC II)
• Technical Drafting (NC II)

MARITIME

• Marine Engineering at the Support Level (MESL) (Non-NC)
• Marine Transportation at the Support Level (Non-NC)
• Ships Catering Services (NC I)

3. The time allotment for the core and electives have been revised to better meet the
requirements of the curriculum.

• Core: 160 hrs offered in one year/two semesters
• Academic Electives: 80 hrs offered in one year/two semesters
• Gr11 TechPro Electives: 320 hrs in one year
• Gr12 TechPro Electives: 320 hrs in one semester
• Field Exposure: 160-320 hrs in one semester

4. There will only be two tracks - Academic and TechPro.

Electives related to Arts & Design and to Sports will still be offered, but they will be categorized under the Academic track.

5. Choice of subjects will be based on the students’ preferred exit rather than pre-selected based on their tracks or strands.

In the previous structure of the SHS curriculum, apart from the core subjects that are taken by all, students

take applied and specialized subjects based on their track and strands.

In the new curriculum, students can take up any subject from any of the clusters of subjects offered by

their school. Students may also take subjects from the other strand (i.e., TVL track, if they are in the

Academic track, and vice-versa). This flexibility is called the “doorway option.”