MATATAG Curriculum Time Allotment Per Subject from K to 10 (2026 Guide)

Picture a typical school head in Davao, wrestling with a spreadsheet that will not balance. She had the MATATAG time allotment per subject printed out — minutes per subject, per grade, per day — and a faculty of 40 teachers, 18 classrooms, and a double-shift schedule to somehow fit together. She stared at that spreadsheet for three nights straight. “It’s like Tetris,” she told me, “except the blocks are children and the game never ends.”

If you’re building a class program right now, you know exactly how she felt.

Here’s the thing, though: once you understand why the minutes are what they are, the Tetris gets a lot easier. This guide gives you every official number — Kindergarten through Grade 10, straight from DepEd Order No. 10, s. 2024 and the flexibility rules in DepEd Order No. 12, s. 2024 — plus the honest context nobody puts in the memo.

Bookmark this page on matatag time allotment per subject. You’ll come back to it every time you build a schedule.

Download: MATATAG Curriculum Time Allotment Per Subject PDF

Why the MATATAG Time Allotment Per Subject Was Redesigned

The old curriculum had a time problem disguised as a content problem. Too many competencies, too few minutes — so teachers rushed, students memorized without mastering, and everybody blamed everybody else.

MATATAG attacked both sides at once. Fewer competencies (the famous decongestion) and protected minutes per subject — the core idea of the matatag time allotment per subject. The logic is almost insultingly simple: fewer topics + guaranteed time = actual mastery instead of coverage theater.

And here’s what I want you to notice as you read the tables below: the minutes aren’t distributed evenly. They’re weighted. Early grades pour time into reading and math. Values education never disappears. Remediation programs (NRP and NMP) get their own protected blocks instead of being squeezed into “extra time” that never materializes.

Every minute of matatag time allotment per subject below is a decision about what Filipino kids need most. Whether you agree with the decisions or not, at least now you can see them.

Kindergarten Time Allotment Under the MATATAG Curriculum

Kindergarten doesn’t run on subject periods — and thank goodness. Five-year-olds learn through movement, stories, and hands-on discovery, not lectures. So DepEd organizes the Kinder day into blocks under the matatag time allotment per subject: 180 minutes (3 hours) of structured activity, with free play and arrival time on top.

Time Block	Purpose	Minutes
Meeting Time	Attendance, weather check, daily routine	15
Circle Time 1	Story reading, values discussion, springboard activities	45
Supervised Recess	Table manners, healthy eating habits, independence skills	15
Quiet/Nap Time	Mindfulness and relaxation	10
Circle Time 2	Integrated activities in literacy, math, science, arts	40
Indoor/Outdoor Play	Movement, art, music, hands-on exploration	35
Wrap-Up Time	Recap through story, poem, or reflection	20
Dismissal Time	Pack up and goodbye routine	20
Total		180 minutes (3 hours)

Notice what’s missing: there’s no “Math period” or “English period.” Literacy, math, and science are folded into Circle Time and play. That’s deliberate — and it’s the one part of the schedule I’d defend to any skeptic. A five-year-old counting bottle caps during play is doing math. A kid retelling a story at Circle Time is doing literacy. The integration is the instruction.

Grade 1 Subject Time Allotment

Grade 1 is where the clock starts ticking on the matatag time allotment per subject: 40 minutes per subject, five days a week. Five subjects — Language, Reading and Literacy, Mathematics, Makabansa, GMRC — plus two remediation programs (NRP and NMP) at 30 minutes, four days a week.

Learning Area	Minutes Per Day	Sessions Per Week
Language	40	5 Sessions
Reading and Literacy	40	5 Sessions
Mathematics	40	5 Sessions
Makabansa	40	5 Sessions
GMRC	40	5 Sessions
National Reading Program (NRP)	30	4 Sessions
National Mathematics Program (NMP)	30	4 Sessions
Homeroom Guidance Program (HGP)	40	1 Sessions

Total: 260 minutes Monday–Thursday (4 hours 20 minutes), 240 on Friday.

Two things worth noticing. First, Makabansa is new here — nationalism, values, and social awareness in one subject instead of scattered fragments. Second, those NRP and NMP blocks aren’t optional extras. They’re DepEd’s answer to the learning poverty data: protected, scheduled, non-negotiable remediation time. If your school is tempted to “borrow” those minutes for something else — don’t. That’s the whole point of them being on the official schedule.

Grade 2 Subject Time Allotment

Grade 2 keeps Grade 1’s structure but splits Language into Filipino and English as separate subjects. The matatag time allotment per subject keeps the same minutes and rhythm — 40-minute periods, NRP and NMP continuing.

Learning Area	Minutes Per Day	Sessions Per Week
Filipino	40	5 Sessions
English	40	5 Sessions
Mathematics	40	5 Sessions
Makabansa	40	5 Sessions
GMRC	40	5 Sessions
National Reading Program (NRP)	30	4 Sessions
National Mathematics Program (NMP)	30	4 Sessions
Homeroom Guidance Program (HGP)	40	1 Sessions

Total: 260 minutes Monday–Thursday, 240 on Friday.

Grade 2 joined MATATAG in the second rollout wave (SY 2025–2026), alongside Grades 5 and 8. If your school transitioned that year, this is probably the schedule you’re running right now.

Grade 3 Subject Time Allotment

In the matatag time allotment per subject, Grade 3 adds five minutes to every subject (40 → 45) and introduces Science as a standalone learning area. Last year of Key Stage 1 — the final push to lock in reading, writing, and number sense.

Learning Area	Minutes Per Day	Sessions Per Week
Filipino	45	5 Sessions
English	45	5 Sessions
Mathematics	45	5 Sessions
Makabansa	45	5 Sessions
GMRC	45	5 Sessions
Science	45	5 Sessions
National Reading Program (NRP)	30	4 Sessions
National Mathematics Program (NMP)	30	4 Sessions
Homeroom Guidance Program (HGP)	45	1 Sessions

Total: 330 minutes Monday–Thursday (5 hours 30 minutes), 315 on Friday.

Science arrives here gently — basic observation and inquiry, not technical content yet. The idea is to build curiosity before complexity. And NRP/NMP are still running, because Grade 3 is the last checkpoint before remediation shifts shape.

Grades 4–6 Subject Time Allotment

Key Stage 2. The subject list expands under the matatag time allotment per subject: Makabansa splits into Araling Panlipunan, and MAPEH and EPP/TLE join the lineup. Eight subjects at 45 minutes daily, plus NMP (math remediation continues — reading remediation doesn’t, because by now DepEd expects fluency) and the weekly Homeroom Guidance session.

Learning Area	Minutes Per Day	Sessions Per Week
Filipino	45	5 Sessions
English	45	5 Sessions
Mathematics	45	5 Sessions
Araling Panlipunan	45	5 Sessions
MAPEH	45	5 Sessions
GMRC	45	5 Sessions
Science	45	5 Sessions
EPP/TLE	45	5 Sessions
National Mathematics Program (NMP)	30	4 Sessions
Homeroom Guidance Program (HGP)	45	1 Sessions

Grade 4’s totals: 390 minutes Monday–Thursday (6 hours 30 minutes), 405 on Friday.

Grades 5 and 6 run the identical schedule — no new subjects, no new minutes. That’s intentional. After the expansion in Grade 4, two stable years let teachers go deeper instead of adjusting to new formats.

Learning Area	Minutes Per Day	Sessions Per Week
Filipino	45	5 Sessions
English	45	5 Sessions
Mathematics	45	5 Sessions
Araling Panlipunan	45	5 Sessions
MAPEH	45	5 Sessions
GMRC	45	5 Sessions
Science	45	5 Sessions
EPP/TLE	45	5 Sessions
National Mathematics Program (NMP)	30	4 Sessions
Homeroom Guidance Program (HGP)	45	1Sessions

Learning Area	Minutes Per Day	Sessions Per Week
Filipino	45	5 Sessions
English	45	5 Sessions
Mathematics	45	5 Sessions
Araling Panlipunan	45	5 Sessions
MAPEH	45	5 Sessions
GMRC	45	5 Sessions
Science	45	5 Sessions
EPP/TLE	45	5 Sessions
National Mathematics Program (NMP)	30	4 Sessions
Homeroom Guidance Program (HGP)	45	1 Sessions

Totals for Grades 5–6: same as Grade 4 — 390 minutes Monday–Thursday, 405 on Friday.

Quick correction on something you might read elsewhere: the rollout waves. Grade 4 was wave one (SY 2024–2025, with K, 1, and 7). Grade 5 was wave two (SY 2025–2026, with 2 and 8). Grade 6 is wave three (SY 2026–2027, with 3 and 9). I’ve seen sites mix these up — now you know the real sequence. For background on how the curriculum itself was overhauled, see our overview of the curriculum revision process.

Grades 7–10 Subject Time Allotment

Under the matatag time allotment per subject, Junior High keeps the eight-subject, 45-minute structure — with one meaningful swap: GMRC becomes Values Education. Same minutes, deeper content. Basic manners grow into ethical reasoning, which is exactly the right shift for teenagers.

Learning Area	Minutes Per Day	Sessions Per Week
Filipino	45	5 Sessions
English	45	5 Sessions
Mathematics	45	5 Sessions
Araling Panlipunan	45	5 Sessions
MAPEH	45	5 Sessions
Values Education	45	5 Sessions
Science	45	5 Sessions
EPP/TLE	45	5 Sessions
National Mathematics Program (NMP)	30	4 Sessions
Homeroom Guidance Program (HGP)	45	1 Sessions

Grade 7’s totals: 390 minutes Monday–Thursday, 405 on Friday. Grades 8, 9, and 10 run identically:

Learning Area	Minutes Per Day	Sessions Per Week
Filipino	45	5 Sessions
English	45	5 Sessions
Mathematics	45	5 Sessions
Araling Panlipunan	45	5 Sessions
MAPEH	45	5 Sessions
Values Education	45	5 Sessions
Science	45	5 Sessions
EPP/TLE	45	5 Sessions
National Mathematics Program (NMP)	30	4 Sessions
Homeroom Guidance Program (HGP)	45	1 Sessions

Learning Area	Minutes Per Day	Sessions Per Week
Filipino	45	5 Sessions
English	45	5 Sessions
Mathematics	45	5 Sessions
Araling Panlipunan	45	5 Sessions
MAPEH	45	5 Sessions
Values Education	45	5 Sessions
Science	45	5 Sessions
EPP/TLE	45	5 Sessions
National Mathematics Program (NMP)	30	4 Sessions
Homeroom Guidance Program (HGP)	45	1 Sessions

Learning Area	Minutes Per Day	Sessions Per Week
Filipino	45	5 Sessions
English	45	5 Sessions
Mathematics	45	5 Sessions
Araling Panlipunan	45	5 Sessions
MAPEH	45	5 Sessions
Values Education	45	5 Sessions
Science	45	5 Sessions
EPP/TLE	45	5 Sessions
National Mathematics Program (NMP)	30	4 Sessions
Homeroom Guidance Program (HGP)	45	1 Sessions

Grade 7 was wave one. Grade 8, wave two. Grade 9, wave three. Grade 10 — the final piece — completes the rollout in SY 2027–2028, closing out the full K–10 sequence before students move to Senior High’s track-based system.

Sample Weekly Schedule: Grade 5 Calculation

The matatag time allotment per subject tables show daily minutes; seeing them add up across a week is better. Here’s Grade 5’s full weekly picture:

Learning Area	Minutes Per Session	Sessions Per Week	Minutes Per Week
Filipino	45	5	225
English	45	5	225
Mathematics	45	5	225
Science	45	5	225
Araling Panlipunan	45	5	225
MAPEH	45	5	225
GMRC	45	5	225
EPP/TLE	45	5	225
National Mathematics Program (NMP)	30	4	120
Homeroom Guidance Program (HGP)	45	1	45
Total Weekly Instructional Time			1,965 minutes

That’s 1,965 minutes a week — roughly 32 hours and 45 minutes of instruction. About 6 hours and 33 minutes in class daily on average.

Now do this exercise for your grade level sometime. Multiply it out. Show it to a parent who says “kids these days don’t study enough.” The numbers usually end the conversation.

Key Insights: What the Minutes Reveal

Read the matatag time allotment per subject tables as a whole and DepEd’s priorities jump out:

Literacy comes first, and it’s protected. Filipino, English, and Reading and Literacy carry the heaviest early-grade minutes, backed by NRP through Grade 3. The research behind this is solid: kids who read fluently by Grade 3 outperform peers in every subject later. DepEd bet the schedule on it.

Math never stops getting help. NMP runs through Grade 10 — all ten years. That’s DepEd admitting, in schedule form, that numeracy is an ongoing national challenge, not a Grade 3 problem that gets “solved.”

Values education is non-negotiable. GMRC in elementary, Values Education in JHS — 45 minutes daily, every grade, no exceptions. Character formation isn’t an afterthought squeezed into leftover time. Whether you think 45 minutes daily is too much or just right, the commitment is unmistakable.

Science spirals up. A gentle start in Grade 3, full daily blocks from Grade 4 through 10. Concepts revisit at increasing depth each year. That’s the spiral progression the old curriculum promised and rarely delivered — the schedule finally gives it room.

Homeroom Guidance anchors every week. One session, every grade, K–10. It’s the smallest block on the schedule and possibly the most humane — dedicated time for check-ins, peer issues, and the social-emotional stuff that a packed subject schedule otherwise eats alive.

The Flexible Options (DepEd Order No. 12, s. 2024)

Here’s what the tables don’t tell you: your school might not be running these exact numbers. And that’s allowed.

In September 2024, DepEd issued Order No. 12 giving schools three scheduling options, after teachers and administrators raised real concerns about fitting the standard schedule into real-world constraints — double shifts, teacher shortages, limited classrooms.

Option A: The standard — 45 minutes per learning area daily, five days a week, HGP once a week. Everything in the tables above.

Option B: Uniform longer periods — 50, 55, or 60 minutes per learning area. Core subjects (English, Math, Science, GMRC/Values Ed) run five times a week; EPP/TLE, MAPEH, Araling Panlipunan, and Filipino run four times a week; HGP once a week.

Option C: Your school proposes its own combination — as long as daily learning contact time hits at least 5 hours 30 minutes, core subjects get no less than 225 minutes weekly, other subjects no less than 200, and HGP at least 45. Subject to your Schools Division Superintendent’s approval.

This is the provision that would save a Davao school head’s spreadsheet. Double shift? Teacher handling two grade levels? Four classrooms for twelve sections? Option C exists for exactly your situation. Use it — that’s why it’s there.

Scripts That Actually Work (Steal These)

To your SDS, requesting Option C approval:
“Good day! Our school would like to propose an adjusted class schedule under Option C of DepEd Order 12, s. 2024. Due to [double-shift schedule / classroom shortage / teacher load — be specific], the standard Option A isn’t feasible for us. Our proposal maintains [X] hours of daily contact time, with core subjects at [225+] minutes weekly. May we submit our proposed schedule for your review?”

To a teacher who says “45 minutes isn’t enough for my subject”:
“I hear you — and you’re not alone. Two options: we can look at whether Option B’s longer periods work for our school, or we can talk about tightening the 45 minutes — a sharp 5-minute opener, 30 minutes of real work, 10 minutes of wrap-up. Most ‘not enough time’ problems are actually pacing problems. Let’s look at your period structure first.” A solid lesson plan template makes those 45 minutes go further.

To a parent asking “why is the school day shorter than before?”:
“Good question. The minutes were redistributed, not just reduced — your child gets more focused time on reading and math now, and every subject has protected minutes that can’t be borrowed for other things. Fewer scattered topics, deeper learning in each one. I’d rather your child master ten things than half-learn twenty.”

To a colleague tempted to “borrow” NRP/NMP minutes:
“Don’t. I know the temptation — we’re all behind. But those remediation blocks are the only protected time our struggling learners get. Borrow from them once and it becomes a habit, and then we’re back to the old system where remediation was everyone’s job and nobody’s schedule.”

Save these. Schedule fights happen every single year.

Your Schedule-Building Action Plan (For School Heads)

Building next year’s class program? Start with our sample class programs for ready-made layouts — then follow the order of operations that actually works:

Step 1: Pick your option first. A, B, or C — decide before you start slotting subjects. Everything flows from this choice. If you’re considering C, start the SDS approval process now, not in May.

Step 2: Lock the non-negotiables. Core subject minutes, NRP/NMP blocks, HGP. These are the load-bearing walls. Everything else gets arranged around them, not the other way around.

Step 3: Map teachers to loads. Who teaches what, how many preparations each, where the overload risks are. DepEd’s order specifically calls for “fair and equitable distribution of teaching loads while protecting the welfare of teachers” — quote that line if anyone pressures you to overload someone.

Step 4: Place the hard subjects in the hard slots. Math and Science in the morning when brains are fresh. MAPEH and EPP/TLE in the afternoon when bodies need to move. This isn’t in any DepEd order — it’s just what works, and every experienced scheduler knows it.

Step 5: Stress-test before opening day. Walk the schedule as a student. As a teacher with three preps. Look for the impossible: back-to-back heavy subjects, teachers in two rooms at once, lunch periods that vanish. Catch it on paper in April, not in a faculty meltdown in July.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is HGP in the MATATAG Curriculum?
Homeroom Guidance Program — a weekly session for students’ social and emotional well-being. One session per week, every grade level, K–10. Not academic. Not optional.

What are NRP and NMP?
National Reading Program and National Mathematics Program — protected remediation blocks. NRP runs through Grade 3 only; NMP continues all the way through Grade 10. Thirty minutes, four days a week.

What do I do when our school can’t fit all the subjects into the day?
That’s exactly what DepEd Order 12, s. 2024 is for. Look at Option B (longer but fewer periods) or Option C (propose your own combination with SDS approval). Document your constraint — double shift, classroom shortage, whatever it is — and propose the schedule that fits. Don’t just silently cut subjects. That’s how schools end up non-compliant.

What do I do when teachers complain that 45 minutes isn’t enough?
First, check whether it’s really a minutes problem or a pacing problem — most 45-minute periods that “aren’t enough” lose 15 minutes to slow transitions and unfocused openers. If it’s genuinely a minutes problem, that’s a school-level decision: explore Option B’s 50–60 minute periods through proper channels. Don’t freelance longer periods on your own.

Why did GMRC become Values Education in Grade 7?
GMRC handles basic manners and conduct for younger kids. Values Education shifts toward ethical reasoning for teenagers. Same daily 45 minutes, deeper content.

Can our school really change the schedule? Doesn’t that violate DepEd Order 10?
No — DepEd Order 12 amends the scheduling provisions. Options B and C are official, legal alternatives. Option C needs your Schools Division Superintendent’s approval, but it’s a real path, not a loophole.

How does the time allotment connect to RA 10533?
RA 10533 (Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013) created the K–12 system. MATATAG works within that law — refining curriculum content and the matatag time allotment per subject, not replacing the legal framework.

The Bottom Line

Every minute in the matatag time allotment per subject is a bet DepEd made about what Filipino kids need: literacy first, math always, values daily, remediation protected.

But minutes don’t teach. You do. A perfectly scheduled 45 minutes with a disengaged teacher loses to a scrappy 30 minutes with a great one — every time.

So use the matatag time allotment per subject tables. Build the schedule. Pick your option. And then close the spreadsheet, walk into the classroom, and make the minutes count. That’s the part no DepEd order can do for you.

Sources & References

• DepEd Order No. 10, s. 2024 — Policy Guidelines on the Implementation of the MATATAG Curriculum
• DepEd Order No. 12, s. 2024 — Flexibility in time allotment for learning areas (September 2024)
• Republic Act No. 10533 — Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013
• Philippine News Agency — Coverage of MATATAG implementation and teacher workload concerns