The Department of Education (DepEd) in the Philippines has issued a memorandum allowing Muslim teaching and nonteaching personnel to observe fasting during the month of Ramadan without compromising the delivery of basic education services. The observance of Ramadan will take place from March 23, 2023 to April 21, 2023.
DepEd recognizes the need for all teachers, learners, and nonteaching personnel to exercise their religious profession and worship freely, without discrimination or preference, as stipulated in Section 5 of Article III (Bill of Rights) of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.
To regulate the working hours of Muslim teaching and nonteaching personnel during the month of Ramadan, DepEd has issued the following policies and resolutions:
Paragraph 2 of Civil Service Commission (CSC) Resolution No. 81-1277 dated November 13, 1981, and Item 3 of Presidential Decree No. 322, s. 1973 modify the official hours of work to allow Muslim personnel observing the fasting for the month of Ramadan to render hours of work from 7:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. without noon break.
Item 2 of DepEd Order (DO) No. 16, s. 2009 requires six hours of actual classroom teaching and two hours of work within or outside school premises for teaching personnel.
Items 4 and 5 of DO 023, s. 2018 require completion of eight hours of work that start from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and end from 4:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. for non-teaching personnel.
Accordingly, all Muslim teaching and nonteaching personnel across the country who observe fasting during Ramadan while working are allowed to work on flexible hours that start from 7:00 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. and end from 3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. without noon break to complete eight hours of work per day.
DepEd emphasizes the importance of immediate dissemination of this memorandum to concerned parties. This move by the government acknowledges the significance of the Muslim community and aims to ensure that they can observe their religious practices without hindering their professional duties.