LAC Sessions Now Count as Teaching Hours, Says Angara

Public school teachers may soon see a significant change in how their official workload is recognized, after Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara said that Learning Action Cell (LAC) sessions will be included in the computation of teachers’ teaching load hours.

The development was reported by Radyo Pilipinas on October 2, 2026, citing Angara’s confirmation that time spent in LAC sessions would now form part of teachers’ recognized teaching hours.

The announcement signals a shift in how the Department values professional development, particularly activities built on collaboration, instructional planning, and the sharing of effective classroom practices. For years, teachers have devoted hours to such sessions on top of a full day of classroom instruction, often without that time being reflected in their official load.

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Learning Action Cells are school-based activities where teachers improve their craft together through mentoring, professional discussions, and the exchange of teaching strategies. In these sessions, teachers work through classroom challenges, assess learner needs, and develop approaches aimed at better learning outcomes.

According to the October 2 report, Angara explained that classroom teaching assignments had traditionally been the sole basis for computing teaching hours. Under the direction he described, participation in LAC sessions would now also count toward a teacher’s teaching load.

If implemented as described, the change would acknowledge a simple reality: improving how teachers teach is itself part of the job. By giving LAC sessions formal weight, the Department sends a message that professional growth is not an extra burden to be squeezed in after class, but a core part of delivering quality education.

Details on implementation, including guidelines and timelines, are expected to be clarified by DepEd in the coming weeks.

In a landmark shift that redefines what counts as official teaching time, Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara has confirmed that Learning Action Cell (LAC) sessions will be formally included in the computation of public school teachers’ regular teaching workload a move that validates hours of collaborative professional development as core to their duties.

For years, LAC sessions — school-based gatherings where teachers plan together, solve classroom challenges, exchange best practices, and mentor one another have been vital yet often unrecognized as direct teaching hours. While already acknowledged as legitimate work under DepEd Order No. 005, s. 2024, they were previously classified as ancillary tasks separate from the six hours of daily face-to-face instruction that formed the basis of teaching-load computation.

Angara’s announcement changes that landscape. Under the revised recognition, time spent preparing for, attending, and contributing to LAC sessions will now be credited directly within the teaching-load framework aligning professional growth activities with the same weight as classroom teaching itself.
“This is more than a procedural update it is a recognition of reality,” said education policy analysts. “LAC sessions demand substantial preparation, thoughtful engagement, and collective effort that directly strengthens instruction even when learners are not physically present. Teachers invest time outside the classroom to make lessons better inside it.”

The reform carries far-reaching implications:
Comprehensive duty recognition Teachers’ professional responsibilities will no longer be measured solely by time spent in front of a class, but also by the collaborative work that improves how they teach.
Boosted participation Formal credit is expected to encourage deeper engagement in LAC activities, removing the perception that they are “extra” work without formal benefit.
Alignment with existing rules DepEd Order No. 005, s. 2024, already allocates two hours daily for ancillary tasks alongside six hours of classroom teaching; LAC attendance falls under curriculum planning within those two hours. Angara’s direction reclassifies this time to count toward the teaching-load component itself.
Clarification remains underway on the exact procedures for logging, verifying, and crediting LAC hours, with final guidelines to be issued by the Department. Officials emphasize that any change will be harmonized with existing workload policies to ensure uniform, fair implementation across all public schools nationwide.