DepEd grants all teachers, staff 5-day wellness leave to boost employee well-being

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MAKATI CITY, 13 February 2026 — The Department of Education (DepEd) has granted up to five days of wellness leave annually to its teaching and non-teaching personnel, in a move aimed at supporting their mental health and overall well-being amid growing demands in the education sector.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara said the policy is a concrete expression of the department’s commitment to care for its workforce across all levels of the organization, and in line with President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.’s directive to strengthen employee welfare and promote mental health across the public sector.

“Ito ay handog natin sa bawat kawani ng DepEd—mula sa central office hanggang sa mga rehiyon, division offices, paaralan, at community learning centers, at anuman ang kanilang employment status. Kinikilala natin na ang kanilang kalusugan, lalo na ang mental health, ay mahalaga sa patuloy nilang paglilingkod sa ating mga mag-aaral,” Angara said.

Under the guidelines aligned with the Civil Service Commission (CSC) Memorandum Circular (MC) No. 01, s. 2026, the wellness leave applies to all eligible DepEd officials and employees, including those in permanent, temporary, casual, contractual, coterminous, substitute, and provisional positions, as well as Contract of Service and Job Order personnel directly engaged by the department.

The wellness leave is separate from existing vacation and sick leave benefits and may be used for mental health care, physical wellness activities, or simply to take a restorative break from work.

Personnel may avail themselves of the leave for up to three consecutive days at a time or on non-consecutive days throughout the year, depending on their needs and subject to approval procedures.

To protect employees’ privacy, any mental health-related information disclosed in the application process will be treated as confidential and handled in accordance with the Data Privacy Act of 2012.

Applications for wellness leave must generally be filed at least five days in advance, except in emergency situations, and the benefit cannot be accumulated or converted into cash if unused within the year.

Angara said the initiative aligns with national policies promoting workplace mental health and aims to strengthen employee resilience while ensuring uninterrupted delivery of education services, adding supporting the well-being of DepEd personnel ultimately benefits learners and the education system as a whole.



“Kapag inaalagaan natin ang ating mga guro at kawani, mas nagiging matibay ang ating mga paaralan,” he said. “Ito ay pamumuhunan hindi lamang sa ating workforce, kundi sa kinabukasan ng ating mga mag-aaral.”

Duolingo’s launches Player-vs-Player mode on Android, amplifying with the first Indonesia chess activation

 

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King Duo arrives in Jakarta to challenge learners to real chess matches

Jakarta, 13 February 2026 — Duolingo, the world’s leading learning app, announced the launch of its Chess’s Player-vs-Player mode (PvP) on Android. Following the successful IOS debut in late 2025, the Android rollout of Duolingo chess course has given millions of learners access to beginner-friendly chess lessons designed to build critical thinking and strategic skills. The player-vs-player (PvP) mode allows learners to test their skills against real opponents in real time.

In a study involving Indonesian students, 75% of respondents said they felt more motivated and engaged when learning through gamified experiences, highlighting growing demand for playful, interactive education formats. 

Built on the Duolingo Method, which emphasizes learning by doing rather than memorization, the Chess course brings this gamified approach to one of the world’s most iconic strategy games, making it more accessible, especially for beginners. 

“We’ve seen strong early engagement from learners exploring Chess PvP mode on iOS, and bringing the experience to Android allows us to reach even more people, especially in mobile-first markets like Indonesia,” said Irene Tong, Regional Marketing Manager, Southeast Asia. “One product insight we’ve observed is that playing against another person can feel intimidating. Looking ahead, we’re working on a range of updates to make PvP feel more welcoming and enjoyable - especially for players who are just starting out. At its core, chess is about connecting with others and strengthening your critical thinking skills. We want to help make that experience more accessible and empowering for our learners.”

With the Duolingo Chess course, learners start with the basics, like how each piece moves, and build their skills by solving puzzles and playing mini matches guided by Oscar, Duolingo’s in-game chess coach. 

About 75% of the course is puzzle-based, giving learners hands-on practice with core tactics. The rest features mini and full games that help them apply what they’ve learned. With personalized practice and lessons that gradually become more challenging, learners progress from guided moves to solving checkmates on their own, all in fun, bite-sized lessons. 

To access PvP mode, learners can visit the Matches tab and tap “Play a Person” to be paired with an opponent of a similar skill level, applying what they’ve learned in a more social and competitive setting. “One thing we’re especially excited about is that bringing PvP mode to Android adds significant “liquidity” to PvP matches. In practice, that means shorter wait times globally—especially for higher ELO players.” - Tong said.

Duolingo is currently working on a number of meaningful updates to Chess designed to strengthen the overall learning experience. These include enabling play with friends, introducing game review features, expanding Chess to the web platform, and developing more advanced content. Together, these efforts aim to make Chess more accessible, engaging, and supportive for learners at different stages of their journey.

Bringing the experience beyond the screen to Indonesian learners, Duolingo has been hosting the first ever Chess pop up activation at Taman Literasi Blok M in Jakarta from 6 to 13 February. The area has been transformed into an interactive learning zone featuring a giant chessboard, where visitors can meet Duolingo’s mascot, King Duo, and take part in chess challenges inspired by the in-app course. Visitors can also enjoy live puzzles, mini lessons, and rewards. 

Duolingo’s Chess course is free to access on Android and is available in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, and Portuguese. 

Consumers call for protection from high power rates in Energy Transition Bill

 

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Metro Manila (February 13) – Electricity consumers on Thursday urged the House Committee on Energy to ensure that their rights will be protected in the country’s transition to clean energy sources. 

During the Technical Working Group (TWG) meeting on House Bill 4299 or the Energy Transition Bill, electricity consumer welfare group Kuryente.org strongly proposed that the bill's Declaration of Policy explicitly include the protection of consumers from any adverse effects of the transition, such as increases in electricity prices. 

“As we recall, ordinary consumers have no protection from market events that cause price hikes, such as foreign exchange fluctuations, wars, and other external factors,” says Kuryente.org National Coordinator Bas Umali. “Even before the just energy transition became  national discourse, consumers in our country had been suffering for decades from high electricity prices and the constant fear of supply shortages.”

The objective of the proposed law is to lay down policies for implementing the transition from fossil fuels to clean energy sources as well as to ensure that the process is just, meaning small sectors will have their interests protected. 

Umali says the protection of consumers from fluctuating prices is a must, since, despite the country already having one of the highest power rates in Southeast Asia, it continues to experience consistent increases in power bills. 

The latest price increase was announced for the month of February due to the cost of transmission and the Universal Charge for Missionary Electrification. The Energy Regulatory Commission also allowed additional charges such as the Green Energy Auction allowance (GEA-ALL).

Kuryente.org requested the Committee and TWG members to craft specific provisions detailing exactly how consumers will be protected in relation to these issues.

The group also proposed that Republic Act 7394, or the Consumer Act of the Philippines, be included as a reference in the bill, particularly in institutionalizing consumer participation in the development of plans and consultations.

“The government should begin with this data in crafting whatever legislation it intends to pass,” says Umali. “Although the measure is still at the TWG level, we hope that the consumers’ strategic interests will be accommodated.”