Brigada Eskwela Guidelines 2026: Manual, Forms and Rules

Brigada Eskwela is the Department of Education’s (DepEd) yearly school maintenance week, when parents, partners and community volunteers help a public school get ready for the opening of classes. DepEd Order (DO) No. 24, s. 2008 made it a permanent part of the school calendar and required every public school to take part from School Year (SY) 2008–2009. In 2026 the program ran under DepEd Memorandum (DM) No. 027, s. 2026, the 2026 Brigada Eskwela Implementing Guidelines, from June 1 to 5, 2026, with the theme Bayanihan sa Paaralan: Nagkakaisa para sa Kaayusan at Kaalaman. DepEd Memorandum No. 035, s. 2026 added rules for workers deployed under the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) TUPAD program.

The Brigada Eskwela Manual for School Heads, written in 2008 by DepEd’s Adopt-a-School Program and sent to all public schools with DepEd Memorandum No. 192, s. 2009, still describes the three stages a school head runs: pre-implementation, implementation and post-implementation. Much of its advice holds, but its dates, report routes and seven BE Forms have given way to each year’s guidelines and an online reporting database. A school head preparing for the next Brigada Eskwela, set for June 7 to 11, 2027 in the school calendar of DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2026, follows the manual’s stages and the latest guidelines’ rules.

Key findings

• Brigada Eskwela is mandatory for public schools and runs every year. DO 24, s. 2008 made participation mandatory from SY 2008–2009 and told schools to start preparing “as early as January of each year without awaiting the release of annual Memorandum or Order” (paras. 4 and 9).
• The 2026 rules are in DM 027, s. 2026. It set Brigada Eskwela for June 1 to 5, 2026, a five-day week, and organized it in three stages, with pre-implementation starting two to three months before the week (para. 1; Encl., Sec. A).
• No Brigada Eskwela fee is allowed. “School heads, teachers, and other school personnel are strictly prohibited from soliciting or collecting any form of contribution including, but not limited to, Brigada Eskwela fees” (DM 027, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. A.2).
• Donations are recorded and reported online. Donated property is booked with an Inventory Custodian Slip below ₱50,000 and a Property Acknowledgment Receipt at ₱50,000 and above, and the school’s report goes into the DepEd Partnerships Database System (DPDS), due July 6 in 2026 (DM 027, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. C.1).
• In 2026, TUPAD workers could do only non-hazardous work and reported to the school head. They could clean, haul, clear vegetation and repaint, but were barred from “hazardous, technical, electrical, structural, engineering, or other high-risk activities”; school heads did not select them and kept their attendance and accomplishment records (DM 035, s. 2026, paras. 12 to 16).
• Teachers earn service credits, capped at five days. DM 027 grants one day per eight hours of committee or volunteer work, up to five days, computed under DepEd Order No. 013, s. 2024 (Encl., Sec. C.3).

What Brigada Eskwela is and which issuances govern it

The manual dates the program to May 2003, when DepEd launched the National Schools Maintenance Week (Background). DO 24, s. 2008, dated March 31, 2008, institutionalized it as a “week-long event” in which volunteers “do minor to medium repairs, and maintenance work in the schools” (para. 2). It requires every public school head to organize “local school maintenance efforts” with parents, businesses, local government units (LGUs) and civic groups (para. 4). DM 027, s. 2026 still lists DO 24 among its references, and as of November 4, 2026 no DepEd order has repealed it.

Each year DepEd issues a memorandum or order with that year’s guidelines. The issuances a school head needs:

The week has moved with the school calendar:

DO 24 said the June schedule was “for this year (2008) only” and that later weeks would be “held two weeks prior to school opening” (para. 1). The calendar now decides: in 2026 Brigada Eskwela fell in the week before classes opened on June 8, and DO 009 lists the same week as the enrollment period. DO 009 also says DepEd will issue a memorandum before every school year with the detailed schedule (para. 4), so confirm the 2027 dates in the 2027 guidelines.

The 2008 manual and its status

The manual was prepared by the Regional Adopt-a-School Program Coordinators with DepEd’s National Secretariat and consultants (Preface). In April 2009, DM 192 had the regions reproduce it and give copies to all public schools before that year’s Brigada Eskwela, and DepEd’s copy is attached to that memorandum. It has three parts, one per stage, and appendices that include BE Forms 01 to 07, a guide for valuing volunteer labor, sample letters and programs, and templates for a memorandum of agreement and a deed of donation.

The manual is guidance, not an issuance. Where it and a later issuance differ, the issuance governs.

Before Brigada Eskwela week: committees, needs assessment and the plan

The manual starts the work “as early as January” (Part I). DM 027 starts the pre-implementation stage “2-3 months before the Brigada Eskwela Week” (Encl., Sec. A). The two fit: DO 24 still allows preparatory activities from January, without waiting for the yearly memorandum (para. 9).

Committees: the 2008 structure and the 2026 working committees

The manual sets up a Brigada Eskwela Steering Committee, chaired by the school head with the PTCA president as co-chair, and five working committees (Part I.1, Figure 1). DM 027 has the school head form working committees and gives them the same five jobs (Encl., Secs. A.4 and A.4.1).

Two rules from DM 027 apply to the committees. The school head orients them on their tasks, and “School personnel shall not require the participation of parents and learners in exchange for extra points in grades of learners” (Encl., Sec. A.4). The 2025 guidelines named only parents in that sentence; the 2026 text adds learners.

The PTA’s own guidelines, DepEd Order No. 013, s. 2022, give a recognized PTA a seat in the “Brigada Eskwela Technical Working Group (TWG)” (Sec. 23.1.3.3) and list participation in the annual Brigada Eskwela among its activities (Sec. 24.2.1). The guide to the School Governance Council and the PTA covers the PTA’s role in full.

The facilities needs assessment and the School Preparedness Checklist

In the manual, the school head, the school physical facilities coordinator and a PTCA member inspect the school and fill in BE Form 01, the Physical Facilities Repair and Maintenance Needs Assessment Form. With the steering committee, the school head turns it into BE Form 02, the school work plan, and both go to the Adopt-a-School Program division coordinator early in the year (Part I.2).

In 2026 the School Facilities Coordinator does a “comprehensive assessment of all school infrastructure”, with emphasis on “structural stability, safety compliance, and disaster resilience”. Classrooms, offices, libraries, laboratories, water and sanitation facilities, electrical systems, roofs, drainage and fences are inspected against typhoons, earthquakes, flooding and fire. Needs go into the School Preparedness Checklist (Annex A), ranked by urgency and by their effect on teaching, with help from DepEd engineers, the School Watching Team and PTA officers. The school also checks bookshelves, libraries and reading corners, and may run a reading readiness needs assessment (DM 027, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. A.1).

The checklist rates each item “Fully Prepared”, “Partially Prepared” or “Not Prepared” under eight headings: facilities and infrastructure; learning resources; health and safety; staff and personnel; enrollment and documentation; partnerships and community engagement; emergency and disaster preparedness; and support for learners (Annex A). No early-year deadline replaces the manual’s. Instead, the regional and division offices use the schools’ identified needs “to advocate for the support needed by the schools” (Encl., Sec. A.2), and the School Governance and Operations Division (SGOD) prepares “a list of schools that would be needing the most assistance from partners” (Encl., Sec. D.3.12).

The School Watching Team is the learner team of at least ten members that maps school hazards under DepEd Order No. 23, s. 2015 (Encl., Sec. V.A); its hazard map is a ready input to the checklist.

The plan and the partners

The manual’s work plan has become the school’s Brigada Eskwela plan, or school preparedness plan. The program implementation committee directs the activities “as specified in the school work plan, aligned with the School Improvement Plan (SIP) and Annual Implementation Plan (AIP)” (DM 027, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. A.4.1.c), and the school presents the plan to stakeholders at the kick-off (Encl., Sec. B.1).

The manual’s advice on advocacy still works: present the program at local school board, barangay council and civic club meetings, and send letters of invitation to parents, alumni, civic groups, businesses, skilled workers and professional groups (Part I.3 and I.4). DM 027 adds two tools. Its “Brigada Eskwela Packages” are lists of items partners can choose from, such as structural repair materials, cleaning supplies, paint, electrical and lighting supplies, reading kits, learner and teacher kits, and emergency and first aid kits (Encl., Sec. A.6). And its matrix tells LGUs, barangays, private partners, non-government organizations and parents what each may do, including securing “a copy of the school preparedness checklist” (Encl., Sec. A.5).

Before the week, the manual has the committees match expected volunteers and materials against the needs and organize work teams by trade, each with a leader (Part I.5). DM 027 has no such step, but nothing in it rules the step out.

During Brigada Eskwela week: day by day

DM 027 states: “As a matter of policy, all work and tasks performed under the Brigada Eskwela period shall be voluntary in nature” (Encl., Sec. B). That includes teachers: DepEd Memorandum No. 022, s. 2026, on energy conservation, adds that during the Academic Recovery and Accessible Learning (ARAL) Program, summer programs and Brigada Eskwela, “teacher participation shall remain voluntary and consistent with existing policies on teachers’ vacation periods and workload” (para. 5). For 2026 DM 027 set the national kick-off for May 29 in Cabadbaran City, Caraga, and simultaneous regional kick-offs for Monday, June 1 (paras. 4 and 5). A school may start with an advocacy caravan and a presentation of its preparedness plan, then begin the voluntary work (Encl., Sec. B.1).

DM 027 gives a suggested list of activities for the five days, from which the school selects according to its preparedness plan (Encl., Sec. B.2):

The manual’s week ran six days and ended with a final inspection and a closing program on Day Six (Part II, items 6 and 7). Three of its habits are not in DM 027 and are worth keeping:

• Start each day with the task list for every work team, and have all unused materials surrendered at the end of the day for the inventory (Part II.3).
• Debrief the committees every evening: what went well, what problems came up, what was not done, what comes next (Part II.5).
• Stay visible. The manual’s advice is to supervise the volunteers until the day ends and to thank the day’s partners publicly (Part II.3).

What to record each day

The manual has the documentation committee record three things every day: all volunteers with the nature and duration of their service (BE Form 04), all resources received (BE Form 05) and all work done (BE Form 06), with photos or video (Part II.4). DM 027 asks for the same: photo and video documentation, “daily reports on donations received and services rendered”, “the daily attendance of volunteers”, and a daily inventory of materials (Encl., Secs. A.4.1.d and A.4.1.e). Donations are acknowledged with an Acknowledgement Receipt and an Inventory Custodian Slip (Encl., Sec. A.4.1.d).

DM 027 names these outputs but attaches no template for them; its annexes are the checklist, a kick-off program, the Inventory Custodian Slip and the Property Acknowledgment Receipt. The manual’s BE Forms 04 to 06, described in the forms table below, can serve as layouts where the division has not prescribed its own, as long as they capture what DM 027 asks for.

Clean classrooms and signage

Brigada Eskwela week is also when the school clears its walls. Schools must keep grounds, classrooms and facilities “free from unnecessary decorations, tarpaulin, and posters at all times”, take down oversized signs with commercial advertisements or “words of sponsorships”, and keep classroom walls “bare and devoid of posters, decorations or other posted materials” (DM 027, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. B.3). Classrooms may not be used to stockpile materials.

The signage rule comes from DepEd Order No. 37, s. 2010, which bars school signs carrying “commercial advertisements, words of sponsorships (including the words ‘donated by’) and/or endorsements” (para. 1). The ways to thank donors without breaking it are in the section on donations below.

After Brigada Eskwela: the report, the records and recognition

The accomplishment report

The manual has the school head convene all committees right after the week, consolidate the forms, and prepare BE Form 07, the School Accomplishment Report. It covers school basic data, repair and maintenance work completed, donations received, volunteer services with their number and estimated value, significant events and recommendations, with photos (Part III.1). The manual’s guide values volunteer labor at prevailing local rates: the daily rate divided by eight gives an hourly rate, which is multiplied by the hours recorded on BE Form 04 (Appendix I). The school head submitted the report to the district supervisor by June 15; reports then moved to the division by June 30, the region by July 31 and the Adopt-a-School Program Secretariat by August 31 (Part III.2, Figure 3).

In 2026 the report is filed online:

Sources for the 2026 column: DM 027, s. 2026, para. 7 and Encl., Sec. C.1. DM 027 also asks the school head to “Submit resources generated and names of volunteers to the PSDS” and to give partners periodic updates “through a coffee table-style accomplishment report” (Encl., Secs. D.4.6 and D.4.8). The SGOD verifies schools’ reports in the DPDS and validates their partnership interventions through the public schools district supervisor (PSDS) (Encl., Secs. D.3.5 and D.3.7).

Recording donated property

Donated items classified as property, plant and equipment must be recorded in the books of accounts under DO 82, s. 2011, with an Inventory Custodian Slip for property valued below ₱50,000.00 and a Property Acknowledgment Receipt for property worth ₱50,000.00 and above (DM 027, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. C.1 and Annexes C and D). DO 82 adds that the donor provides a deed of donation that “must be properly signed and notarized”, that a copy goes to the property or supply unit and to accounting, and that donated assets are recorded at cost or, when cost is unknown, at fair market or appraised value (Encl., Sec. I).

Earlier guidelines said “above” ₱50,000; the 2026 text, “worth P50,000.00 and above”, settles where an item worth exactly ₱50,000 goes.

Every donation also belongs on the school’s transparency board. DepEd Order No. 008, s. 2019 requires the school head to declare all sources of school funds, including private donations, with “details on quantity and description, if such donations are received in kind”, and to update the board every three months (Sec. VI.A.1 and VI.A.4).

Which forms apply now

The descriptions of the forms are from the manual’s Appendices B to H.

Sustaining the partnerships

The manual’s last step, sustaining Brigada Eskwela, survives almost word for word: school improvement does not end on the last day of the week, the school keeps up what volunteers repaired, and it sends letters of thanks (Part III.3). DM 027 adds four strategies: keep stakeholders informed of progress, listen to them through fora and focus group discussions, engage partners in other school activities, and hold recognition programs (Encl., Sec. C.2).

Recognition: the national awards ended in 2023

For years DepEd ran a search for Brigada Eskwela Best Implementing Schools. DepEd Memorandum No. 020, s. 2023 stopped it: there would be “NO search for Brigada Eskwela Best Implementing School Award” and no certificate for school heads and teachers carrying points “for the purpose of promotion and office/individual performance” (para. 1(a)). DO 021, s. 2023 confirmed that the national Best Implementing School Awards, Hall of Fame Awards and Brigada Plus “shall no longer be part of the program”, because Brigada Eskwela “shall veer away from any form of competition” (Encl., Sec. C.4).

Recognition now happens at the school, district and division levels, with regional recognition of partners, and “The RO may reward or recognize SDOs and schools for outstanding performance in implementing Brigada Eskwela” (DM 027, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. C.2.4). DM 027 suggests group recognition for partners that have supported the school for three consecutive years and individual recognition for local chief executives, barangay leaders, school heads and partnership focal persons. At the division, the Schools Division Superintendent (SDS) chairs the committee, with the SGOD chief and the senior education program specialist for social mobilization and networking as co-chairs. Plaques and certificates for division and regional ceremonies may be charged to regional or division MOOE or local funds (Encl., Sec. C.4).

Service credits and time off

DO 013, s. 2024 lists “Services rendered in connection with the early opening of the school year, i.e., Brigada Eskwela, Oplan Balik Eskwela, Enrollment” among the activities that earn credits (Sec. V.A.8.b). Its own rate for work during “summer/long vacation, weekends, and holidays” is 1.5 hours of credit per hour served, or 1.5 days for eight hours (Sec. V.A.1.b; Annex B), while DM 027 grants one day per eight hours and says the computation follows DO 013. No issuance has reconciled the two. DO 013 is the order in force on service credits, so a teacher may ask the division personnel office to apply its Annex B; the five-day cap comes from DM 027. Either way, credits need the SDS’s prior approval: the school head requests it in writing before the week, then submits the daily time records, an accomplishment report and proof of attendance within one month after it (DO 013, s. 2024, Sec. VI.A.1 to VI.A.3). The guide to vacation service credits explains the computation.

Donations, solicitation and contributions

What a school may accept

A school may accept volunteer work and donations from partners “before and during the Brigada Eskwela week”, and the committees make sure pledges are delivered (DM 027, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. A.4.1.b). Republic Act No. 9155, the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001, gives the school head authority over “Accepting donations, gifts, bequests and grants” to upgrade teachers’ competencies, improve and expand school facilities, and provide instructional materials and equipment, and requires that such donations “be reported to the appropriate district supervisors and division superintendents” (Sec. 7(E)(11)).

Some donors are off-limits. “All DepEd Offices and schools shall strictly observe the prohibition on partnering with, accepting donations or sponsorships from industries that present conflicts of interest, such as, but not limited to, the tobacco, breast milk substitutes, and alcoholic beverage industries” (DM 027, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. A.3). DM 027 bases the rule on DepEd Order No. 48, s. 2016 on tobacco control and DepEd Order No. 13, s. 2017 on healthy food and drinks, and its package of snacks for volunteers must also comply with DO 13, s. 2017 (Encl., Sec. A.6).

What no one at the school may collect

The prohibition on solicitation is absolute for school personnel: no “Brigada Eskwela fees” or any other contribution from parents, guardians, volunteers, partners or stakeholders (DM 027, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. A.2). Resource mobilization must also follow Republic Act No. 4206, as amended by Republic Act No. 5546, which DM 027 restates: “the sale of tickets or solicitation of contributions, whether voluntary or otherwise, from learners, school children, and teachers in public and private schools for any project or purpose is strictly prohibited”. DM 027 adds DepEd Order No. 5, s. 1992 on solicitation and DepEd Order No. 047, s. 2022 on professionalism, as amended by DepEd Order No. 049, s. 2022 (Encl., Sec. A.4.1.b). In August 2024, DepEd Memorandum No. 041, s. 2024 reiterated the No Collection Policy in schools.

DM 027 does not define soliciting, and it also tells the working committees to “Mobilize resources”, identify partners and “Accept donations from partners” (Encl., Sec. A.4.1.b), with the Brigada Eskwela Packages “presented to stakeholders for reference and guidance” (Encl., Sec. A.2). Read together, the safer line runs between presenting the school’s needs (the checklist and the packages) and accepting what partners choose to give, which DM 027 asks for, and asking anyone for a contribution of any kind or amount, which it bars for school personnel.

Two other rules close the gaps a school might be tempted to use:

• Enrollment week. Brigada Eskwela and the enrollment period fell in the same week in 2026 and do again in 2027 (DO 009, s. 2026, Annex B). “No voluntary fees shall be collected during the early registration and enrollment period as a prerequisite for registration and enrollment in basic education in public schools” (DepEd Order No. 017, s. 2025, Sec. VI.C). A Brigada Eskwela contribution box at the enrollment table invites exactly the confusion that rule guards against, on top of breaking DM 027.
• The PTA. Voluntary contributions may be collected only through the PTA, only for programs in the SIP, and “All PTA collections shall begin on the third (3rd) month of classes” (DO 013, s. 2022, Secs. 26.1 and 26.2). That rules out a PTA collection for Brigada Eskwela, which happens before classes open. A recognized PTA may still accept donations, “whether cash or in kind”, from the private sector or stakeholders (Sec. 23.1.5.2), but it may not use the school’s name “for unauthorized solicitation” (Sec. 25.1.5).

The post on unauthorized school fees shows what happens to principals who collect anyway.

Cash donations

The manual was strict: “Make sure that donations are in-kind and that all cash donations are converted into materials before acknowledging receipt”, because it was “the policy of DepEd and the Adopt-A-School program to refrain from accepting cash donations” (Part I.5.d). DM 027 does not repeat that sentence; it speaks of recording “in-kind donations and services” and of managing “funds that will be generated” (Encl., Sec. A.4.1.d). DepEd’s later rules do allow money given as a donation, along a set route. Under DO 24, s. 2016, a school or division office that receives financial assistance as a donation deposits it with the Bureau of the Treasury, secures a certification of deposit, and asks the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) for a notice of cash allocation before spending it, under procurement and auditing rules (Encl. No. 1, Annex A to the model MOA, Procedure in Accommodating and Utilizing Financial Assistance as Donation).

For a five-day maintenance week, that route is slow. The practical course is the manual’s: when a partner offers money, invite it to give materials from the school’s checklist or the Brigada Eskwela Packages instead, and record them as in-kind donations. No school head or teacher should hold a donor’s cash personally.

Documents for each donation

Under DO 40, s. 2015, the school head is the school’s partnership focal person and its official signatory, and the draft MOA goes to a DepEd legal officer, at the regional office if the division has none (Secs. E, H.9 and I.4). The stakeholder analysis guide explains how to choose and approach partners.

Adopt-a-School partners and tax incentives

The manual told school heads to attract partners by explaining the Adopt-a-School Act, which it said allows “tax incentives of up to 150%” (Part I.3). The figure comes from adding two deductions. Republic Act No. 8525, the Adopt-a-School Act of 1998, allows an adopting entity “an additional deduction from the gross income equivalent to fifty percent (50%) of such expenses” (Sec. 5). The Bureau of Internal Revenue’s (BIR) current rules, Revenue Regulations No. 13-2025, dated February 20, 2025, allow a deduction of the donation “subject to limitations, conditions and rules set forth in Section 34(H) of the Tax Code, plus an additional amount equivalent to fifty percent (50%) of such contribution/donation” (Sec. 3(A)(i)), and exempt it from donor’s tax (Sec. 3(A)(ii)). The regulation’s note on Section 34(H) gives that section’s limits, 10% of taxable income for an individual and 5% for a corporation, with some donations deductible in full (footnote 4), so “up to 150%” is a ceiling, not a guarantee. The donor attaches to its tax returns a notarized agreement endorsed by the Adopt-a-School Program’s National Secretariat, a notarized deed of donation and acceptance, and a sworn declaration linking the expenses to the program (Sec. 3(B)(i)). These incentives are “mutually exclusive” and bar the donor from claiming similar incentives under other laws (Sec. 6).

RA 8525 also lets the adopting company have “its name emblazoned beneath the name of the school” and a seat on the municipal local school board (Sec. 6). The MOA is signed by the adopting entity and the school head, is subject to the SDS’s review and approval, and lasts “at least two (2) years” (Sec. 3; DO 2, s. 2013, Part II, Rule 1).

On DepEd’s side, DO 24, s. 2016 sets the steps: a MOA reviewed by DepEd legal personnel, a deed of donation stating the peso value, the school’s deed of acceptance, and the donor’s papers going to DepEd’s Adopt-a-School Program Secretariat (Sec. V). The donor must have existed for at least a year and must not be “affiliated or connected to any group in the tobacco industry” (Sec. VI). DM 027 gives the school’s part of the paperwork to the administrative and finance committee (Encl., Sec. A.4.1.d).

How to thank donors without breaking the signage rules

Three texts bear on this, and all three can be met:

• The signage rules above (DO 37, s. 2010; DM 027, Encl., Sec. B.3) keep sponsor wording off school signs and walls.
• DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, the school infrastructure standards issued in September 2026, allows “A designated wall section for brass marker not exceeding 0.60 m (width) x 1.0 m (height)” to recognize “sponsors, donors, political figures or school partners”, in a standard metal plaque format (Encl., Sec. VI.A.6.d.2). Its standards apply to projects funded from fiscal year (FY) 2027 appropriations onward (para. 5).
• RA 8525 lets an Adopt-a-School partner under a MOA have its name beneath the school’s name, after words saying the school is under the program (Sec. 6).

So: thank Brigada Eskwela donors with letters, certificates, the closing program and the DPDS record; use the plaque section of DO 022 for lasting recognition on buildings its standards cover; and keep sponsor tarpaulins and “donated by” lettering off the walls and gates.

What changed since 2008

Volunteers and safety

Learners

Apart from the rule against trading participation for grade points (see the committees above), DM 027 asks parents to “Set an example for children in doing community service” (DM 027, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. A.5), and Supreme Student Government and Supreme Pupil Government officers “assist their homeroom teachers” (Encl., Sec. D.8). Neither DM 027 nor the manual lists which tasks learners may do. DepEd Memorandum No. 064, s. 2026, DepEd’s El Niño measures dated October 26, 2026, rules out the riskiest: “Learners shall not be assigned hazardous clearing, firefighting, electrical repair, or emergency-response duties”, and “Open burning and other unsafe practices that increase fire risk shall be prohibited” (Encl., Sec. 6.4). It stays in effect until PAGASA’s final advisory on the end of the El Niño (para. 7), which “may persist until the first half of 2027” (para. 1), so check whether it still applies in June 2027.

The law fills the rest of the gap. The Family Code gives the school, its administrators and teachers “special parental authority and responsibility over the minor child while under their supervision, instruction or custody”, which applies “to all authorized activities whether inside or outside the premises of the school” (Art. 218), and makes them “principally and solidarily liable” for damage the minor causes, unless they prove that they “exercised the proper diligence required under the particular circumstances” (Art. 219). In Apolinario v. Heirs of De Los Santos, G.R. No. 219686, November 27, 2024 (First Division), the Supreme Court held a principal liable over a school pintakasi, a community work day, on a Saturday in 1998. On the principal’s instruction and under his close supervision, a pupil, 16 in the Court’s account and 15 by his own testimony, cut a banana plant beside the highway; it fell on a passing motorcyclist, who died. The Court faulted the principal for not having warning devices set up, not asking another adult to help and to warn motorists, and not giving the task to an adult. The post on principal liability for pupil injuries sets out the cases.

The safer course for Brigada Eskwela: keep learners to light tasks such as cleaning their own classrooms, gardening and reading sessions; give roofs, ladders, power tools, electrical work and tree cutting to adults; and put an adult in charge of every risky task. DO 40, s. 2015 requires every school partnership to be “guided by relevant existing laws and DepEd issuances especially those related to child protection” (Sec. D.3), which brings in the DepEd Child Protection Policy, DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2012.

Skilled and hazardous work

DM 027 expects structural repairs, roofing and electrical work, and lists skilled volunteers such as carpenters, electricians, plumbers and painters among the packages partners may give (Encl., Sec. A.6). It sets no qualification rule for volunteers. For TUPAD workers the rule is explicit: they “shall not be assigned to hazardous, technical, electrical, structural, engineering, or other high-risk activities inconsistent with existing occupational safety standards” (DM 035, s. 2026, para. 15). DM 027 does not extend that line to other volunteers, but applying it to anyone untrained is the safer course: assign electrical, roofing and structural work only to skilled workers, and refer anything beyond minor repair to the division engineer.

The manual’s logistics still apply: work materials, first aid kits and refreshments for volunteers (Part I.1, B.4), which DM 027 repeats (Encl., Sec. A.4.1.d). DM 027 makes no provision for insuring volunteers. For TUPAD workers, “insurance coverage” follows DOLE’s guidelines, and no DepEd funds may pay their wages or labor benefits “unless otherwise authorized by law” (DM 035, s. 2026, para. 18).

TUPAD beneficiaries in 2026

DM 035, s. 2026 drew on DOLE’s Tulong Panghanapbuhay sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) program and a DepEd-DOLE memorandum of agreement to send short-term workers to schools (paras. 3 and 4). In a May 30, 2026 release, DepEd said nearly 240,000 workers nationwide would get temporary work for up to ten days, with about ₱2 billion set aside by DOLE. DM 035’s rules for school heads:

DM 035 covered Brigada Eskwela 2026 only. In an August 13, 2026 release, DepEd said Secretary Sonny Angara had asked Malacañang to expand TUPAD support for schools hit by the southwest monsoon and Bagyong Maymay, as part of a year-round “Brigada Eskwela 2.0” recovery framework that DepEd is promoting. A press release is not an issuance, so check the 2027 guidelines and any division memorandum before planning on TUPAD workers.

How Brigada Eskwela connects to facilities, MOOE, the SIP and disaster preparedness

Facilities. Brigada Eskwela covers cleaning and minor to medium repair (DO 24, s. 2008, para. 2). Major repairs and unsafe buildings go to the division; the guide to the 2010 Educational Facilities Manual explains who repairs what. Paint has its own rule. DepEd Order No. 4, s. 2017 makes “independently certified lead-safe paints/coatings” mandatory “to all painting and/or repainting works” of school buildings, gates, fences, furniture and blackboards (para. 4), including paint donated to schools, which must also meet the lead limits of DENR Administrative Order 2013-24 (paras. 6 and 7). Accept only certified lead-safe paint for Brigada Eskwela. DO 022, s. 2026, which covers the “repair, and rehabilitation” of school buildings “regardless of funding source”, including work done with private partners (Encl., Sec. II), adds that paints be “lead-safe, non-toxic, and low-VOC” (Encl., Sec. VI.A.6.a.1), with light, warm colors for new buildings (Sec. VI.A.6.a.2), for projects funded from FY 2027 appropriations onward (para. 5).

MOOE. Brigada Eskwela does not replace the school’s budget. Minor repairs of facilities and building and grounds maintenance are among the allowable uses of school Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) (DO 008, s. 2019, Sec. V.D). Materials the school buys for the week follow procurement rules; materials donated are recorded and declared. The guide to school MOOE covers what MOOE may and may not buy.

The SIP and AIP. As noted above, DM 027 ties the week’s activities to the SIP and AIP (Encl., Secs. A.4.1.c and D.4.3), so the checklist’s priorities should come from, and feed back into, the school improvement plan.

Disaster preparedness. The 2026 assessment centers on structural safety and resilience, and the checklist asks whether the school disaster preparedness plan has been reviewed, drills scheduled and evacuation areas prepared (Annex A, Parts III and VII). The school profile that schools file in the Basic Education Information System (BEIS) asks whether the “School has conducted Brigada Eskwela to ensure school safety and that disaster preparedness measures are in place” (DepEd Memorandum No. 028, s. 2026, Encl., Government School Profile, Box 3, Part 2).

What this means for school heads

A timeline for Brigada Eskwela 2027

Records to keep

• The School Preparedness Checklist and the Brigada Eskwela plan.
• The list of working committee members, and records of their orientation.
• MOAs, deeds of donation and acceptance, Acknowledgement Receipts, Inventory Custodian Slips and Property Acknowledgment Receipts.
• Volunteer registration and daily attendance; the donation registry; daily accomplishment reports; photos and videos.
• For TUPAD workers, attendance sheets, deployment records and accomplishment reports.
• The DPDS report, and the service credit documents.

What a school head may and may not do

The school head may accept in-kind donations and volunteer work from allowed partners, sign MOAs for the school after legal review, assign TUPAD workers to the allowed tasks, and recognize partners at the school level. The school head may not require parents, learners or teachers to take part (DM 027, Encl., Sec. B), give grade points for participation, collect or let anyone collect a Brigada Eskwela fee, accept help from the tobacco, breast milk substitute or alcoholic beverage industries, or choose TUPAD beneficiaries.

Common mistakes

1. Treating the manual’s deadlines and forms as current: its early-year submission of the work plan and its June 15 paper report no longer apply.
2. Setting a “Brigada fee” or a contribution box at enrollment, or letting the PTA collect for Brigada Eskwela before classes.
3. Taking a donor’s cash and buying materials without the paperwork, instead of inviting the donor to give materials in kind.
4. Hanging sponsor tarpaulins or painting “donated by” on walls.
5. Giving learners or untrained volunteers roof, electrical or tree-cutting work, or burning cleared vegetation and trash; while DM 064, s. 2026 is in force, learners may not be given hazardous clearing or electrical repair at all, and open burning is prohibited (Encl., Sec. 6.4).
6. Accepting donated paint that is not certified lead-safe (DO 4, s. 2017, paras. 4 to 7).
7. Forgetting to book donated property or to file the DPDS report on time.
8. Planning Brigada Eskwela apart from the SIP and AIP, so that donations do not match the school’s priorities.

The PPSSH indicators this serves

Brigada Eskwela serves Strand 5.5, community engagement, of the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads (PPSSH), adopted through DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020: indicator 5.5.1, “Involve the community, such as parents, alumni, authorities, industries and other stakeholders, in school programs, projects and activities”, and indicator 5.5.2, “Initiate partnerships with the community”. It also serves Strands 2.2 (financial management), 2.3 (school facilities and equipment), 2.5 (school safety for disaster preparedness, mitigation and resiliency) and 5.2 (management of school organizations, including the PTA). The guides to PPSSH Domain 5 and PPSSH Domain 2 explain the strands.

How the NASH may test this

The items below are original practice items, scored 3 (Relational), 2 (Multistructural), 1 (Unistructural) or 0 (Prestructural). An option that breaks a rule scores 0.

Question 1

Indicator 5.2.2, Management of school organizations. Career Stage 2, Situational, Difficult.

You are the school head of a large elementary school in a city. Two weeks before Brigada Eskwela, the officers of the recognized PTA report that pledged materials cover only half of the repairs listed in the School Preparedness Checklist. They propose to collect Php 100 from each family at the enrollment tables during Brigada Eskwela week, the week before classes open, with the PTA treasurer issuing receipts. They say most parents agree. What is the most appropriate action?

• A. Issue a memorandum reminding the PTA officers that no Brigada Eskwela fee may be collected, and leave the remaining repairs for the division office to fund from its own resources.
• B. Tell the officers that the PTA may not collect before classes open, then take the unmet needs on the checklist to the barangay and local businesses yourself so that the PTA officers stay out of matters involving funds.
• C. Decline the collection and explain the PTA collection rules, then present the unmet needs on the checklist, with the PTA officers, to the barangay, alumni and local businesses as possible in-kind support.
• D. Approve the collection as long as it stays voluntary and every payment is receipted by the PTA treasurer, since the parents themselves agreed to support the repairs.

Answer and explanation

Best answer: C. Points: A = 1, B = 2, C = 3, D = 0.

• A (1 point, Unistructural). The reminder applies the no-fee rule, but it leaves half the repairs unmet and hands the problem to the division, whose role is to advocate for and mobilize support, not to replace the school’s own work with its partners.
• B (2 points, Multistructural). Declining the collection and presenting the checklist to the barangay and businesses are both right, but shutting the PTA out ignores the organization that sits on the working committees and may accept donations.
• C (3 points, Relational). It applies the PTA rules and still meets the need: PTA collections may begin only in the third month of classes, while the PTA officers, as members of the working committees, can help present the school’s needs to partners, and the school records what partners give.
• D (0 points, Prestructural). A voluntary, receipted collection is still a PTA collection before classes open, which DO 013, s. 2022 does not allow (Sec. 26.2), and at the enrollment table it can look like a condition of enrollment.

Why. This aligns with Career Stage 2 expectations because indicator 5.2.2 asks the school head to manage the PTA by applying the policies that govern it. DO 013, s. 2022 states that “All PTA collections shall begin on the third (3rd) month of classes” (Sec. 26.2), and DM 027, s. 2026 bars Brigada Eskwela fees while making PTA officers members of the working committees that mobilize resources for the week (Encl., Secs. A.2 and A.4). The option that keeps the PTA out applies the rule but sets aside the organization the school head is meant to manage.

Indicator 5.2.2: Manage school organizations, such as learner organizations, faculty clubs and parent-teacher associations, by applying relevant policies and guidelines to support the attainment of institutional goals.

Sources: DepEd Order No. 013, s. 2022, Secs. 23.1.5.2 and 26.2; DepEd Memorandum No. 027, s. 2026, Encl., Secs. A.2 and A.4.

Question 2

Indicator 2.3.2, School facilities and equipment. Career Stage 2, Situational, Moderate.

You are the school head of a very large secondary school in a town hit by a typhoon last year. On the second day of Brigada Eskwela, the division endorses ten TUPAD beneficiaries to your school. The facilities coordinator wants them to replace corroded roofing sheets on a two-story building, because the skilled volunteers who pledged that work did not come. Classes open next week. What is the most appropriate action?

• A. Assign the workers to cleaning, hauling and repainting at ground level, keep their attendance and accomplishment records, and have skilled workers fix the roof before classes open, on a DepEd engineer’s advice.
• B. Assign the workers to replace the roofing sheets under the facilities coordinator’s close supervision, since they are paid workers and the building must be ready before classes open.
• C. Give the workers ground-level cleaning, hauling and repainting tasks, keep their attendance sheets and deployment records, and ask the pledged volunteers to come back and replace the roofing after classes have opened.
• D. Report the corroded roof to the division engineer, and ask the division office to send the ten workers instead to another school that has no roofing work planned for the week.

Answer and explanation

Best answer: A. Points: A = 3, B = 0, C = 2, D = 1.

• A (3 points, Relational). It keeps the workers on allowed, non-hazardous tasks, keeps the records the school head must keep, and still gets the roof fixed safely before learners return, by people qualified to do it.
• B (0 points, Prestructural). Roofing on a two-story building is hazardous and structural work, which TUPAD beneficiaries may not be given (DM 035, s. 2026, para. 15); being paid under DOLE’s program does not change that.
• C (2 points, Multistructural). The tasks and records are right, but leaving a corroded roof over classrooms until after classes open, in a typhoon-prone town, puts off a repair the building needs before learners return.
• D (1 point, Unistructural). Reporting the roof to the engineer is right, but sending the workers away gives up help the school can use safely and leaves the roof unrepaired for the opening of classes.

Why. This aligns with Career Stage 2 expectations because indicator 2.3.2 asks the school head to manage repair and maintenance in adherence to issuances. DM 035, s. 2026 limits deployed TUPAD beneficiaries to “non-instructional, non-hazardous, and non-technical activities”, bars them from “hazardous, technical, electrical, structural, engineering, or other high-risk activities”, and has them report to the school head for work assignment and records (paras. 14 to 16). DM 027, s. 2026 has roofs inspected so that they are safe and “capable of withstanding hazards such as typhoons” before classes open (Encl., Sec. A.1). The option that defers the roof assigns the workers correctly but leaves the repair the building needs until after learners return.

Indicator 2.3.2: Manage school facilities and equipment in adherence to policies, guidelines and issuances on acquisition, recording, utilization, repair and maintenance, storage and disposal.

Sources: DepEd Memorandum No. 035, s. 2026, paras. 14 to 16; DepEd Memorandum No. 027, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. A.1.

Nothing in this guide reproduces or predicts examination content.

Frequently asked questions

When is Brigada Eskwela 2027?

The school calendar in DO 009, s. 2026 lists Brigada Eskwela and the enrollment period for June 7 to 11, 2027 (Annex B). DepEd confirms the dates and the theme in each year’s guidelines; the 2025 and 2026 guidelines came out in May.

Is the 2008 Brigada Eskwela Manual for School Heads still valid?

Its three stages, committees and daily routines are still good practice, and DM 027, s. 2026 follows the same structure (Encl., Secs. A to C). Its dates, report routes and forms have been replaced by the yearly guidelines, in 2026 DM 027 and DM 035, s. 2026; cash donations now follow DO 24, s. 2016, though giving in kind remains the practical course (Encl. No. 1, Annex A to the model MOA).

Can a school collect a Brigada Eskwela fee?

No. DM 027, s. 2026 strictly prohibits school heads, teachers and other school personnel from soliciting or collecting any contribution, including Brigada Eskwela fees (Encl., Sec. A.2), and RA 4206, as amended, bars collections from learners and teachers. The PTA may collect voluntary contributions only from the third month of classes (DO 013, s. 2022, Sec. 26.2).

What forms are used for Brigada Eskwela?

The 2026 guidelines attach the School Preparedness Checklist, the Inventory Custodian Slip and the Property Acknowledgment Receipt, and require the school’s report in the DepEd Partnerships Database System. They also call for a volunteer registration form, a registry of donations and daily accomplishment reports without prescribing a layout (DM 027, s. 2026, Encl., Secs. B.2 and C.1).

Do teachers get service credits for Brigada Eskwela?

Yes. Teachers earn vacation service credits for committee and volunteer work during Brigada Eskwela, up to five days, and non-teaching personnel earn compensatory time-off for weekend and holiday service (DM 027, s. 2026, Encl., Sec. C.3). The SDS must approve the credits before the activity (DO 013, s. 2024, Sec. VI.A.1).

Sources

DepEd issuances

• DepEd Order No. 24, s. 2008, Institutionalization of the Brigada Eskwela Program or the National Schools Maintenance Week (NSMW), March 31, 2008. Paras. 1, 2, 4 and 9.
• DepEd Memorandum No. 027, s. 2026, 2026 Brigada Eskwela Implementing Guidelines, May 5, 2026. Paras. 1 to 7; Encl., Secs. A to D; Annexes A, C and D.
• DepEd Memorandum No. 035, s. 2026, Coordination and Deployment of TUPAD Beneficiaries During Brigada Eskwela 2026, May 28, 2026. Paras. 3, 4, 7 and 10 to 20.
• DepEd Memorandum No. 042, s. 2025, 2025 Brigada Eskwela Implementing Guidelines, May 9, 2025. Paras. 1, 2 and 5; Encl. Nos. 1 and 2.
• DepEd Memorandum No. 033, s. 2024, Conduct of the Brigada Eskwela for School Year 2024–2025, July 9, 2024.
• DepEd Order No. 021, s. 2023, 2023 Brigada Eskwela Implementing Guidelines, August 3, 2023. Encl., Secs. C.1 and C.4.
• DepEd Memorandum No. 020, s. 2023, Revisions to DepEd Memorandum No. 062, s. 2022 (2022 Brigada Eskwela Implementing Guidelines), March 27, 2023. Para. 1.
• DepEd Memorandum No. 192, s. 2009, Reproduction and Distribution of Brigada Eskwela Manual, April 27, 2009, with the manual as its enclosure.
• DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2026, Guidelines on the Implementation of the Three-Term School Calendar in Basic Education, April 16, 2026. Paras. 4 and 5; Annex B.
• DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2015, Guidelines on K to 12 Partnerships, August 28, 2015. Secs. D, E, H and I.
• DepEd Order No. 2, s. 2013, Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of RA 8525, January 18, 2013. Part II, Rule 1. Part II, Rule 1.
• DepEd Order No. 24, s. 2016, Guidelines on Accepting Donations and on Processing Applications for the Availment of Tax Incentives by Private Donor-Partners Supporting the K to 12 Program, April 25, 2016. Secs. V, VI and VIII; Encl. No. 1.
• DepEd Order No. 82, s. 2011, Guidelines on the Proper Recording of All Donated Properties, October 24, 2011. Encl., Sec. I.
• DepEd Order No. 013, s. 2024, Revised Guidelines on the Grant of Vacation Service Credits for Teachers, September 18, 2024. Secs. V.A.1, V.A.8 and VI.A; Annex B.
• DepEd Order No. 013, s. 2022, Omnibus Guidelines on the Regulation of Operations of the Parent-Teacher Associations, March 18, 2022. Secs. 23.1.3.3, 23.1.5.2, 24.2.1, 25.1.5, 26.1 and 26.2.
• DepEd Order No. 017, s. 2025, Revised Basic Education Enrollment Policy, June 13, 2025. Sec. VI.C.
• DepEd Order No. 5, s. 1992, Policy on Solicitation of Contributions, January 17, 1992; DepEd Order No. 047, s. 2022, Promotion of Professionalism in the Implementation and Delivery of Basic Education Programs and Services, October 17, 2022, as amended by DepEd Order No. 049, s. 2022, November 2, 2022; and DepEd Memorandum No. 041, s. 2024, Reiteration of the No Collection Policy in Schools, August 2, 2024.
• DepEd Order No. 37, s. 2010, Prohibition on Use and/or Display of School Signages Showing Commercial Advertisements, Sponsorship and/or Endorsements, April 23, 2010. Para. 1.
• DepEd Order No. 022, s. 2026, Enhanced Minimum Performance Standards and Specifications for DepEd School Infrastructure and School Furniture, September 24, 2026. Para. 5; Encl., Secs. II, VI.A.6.a and VI.A.6.d.
• DepEd Order No. 4, s. 2017, Mandatory Use of Lead-Safe Paints in Schools, January 18, 2017. Paras. 2, 4, 6 and 7.
• DepEd Order No. 008, s. 2019, Revised Implementing Guidelines on the Direct Release, Use, Monitoring and Reporting of MOOE Allocation of Schools, Including Other Funds Managed by Schools, May 2, 2019. Secs. V.D and VI.A.
• DepEd Order No. 48, s. 2016, Policy and Guidelines on Comprehensive Tobacco Control, June 28, 2016, and DepEd Order No. 13, s. 2017, Policy and Guidelines on Healthy Food and Beverage Choices in Schools and in DepEd Offices, March 14, 2017.
• DepEd Order No. 23, s. 2015, Student-Led School Watching and Hazard Mapping, June 16, 2015. Encl., Sec. V.A.
• DepEd Order No. 40, s. 2012, DepEd Child Protection Policy, May 14, 2012.
• DepEd Memorandum No. 028, s. 2026, Guidelines on the Basic Education Information System Data Collection and Validation for School Year 2025–2026, May 6, 2026. Encl. No. 2, Government School Profile, Box 3.
• DepEd Memorandum No. 064, s. 2026, Anticipatory Action, Preparedness, and Protective Measures for the 2026–2027 Super El Niño, October 26, 2026. Paras. 1 and 7; Encl., Sec. 6.4.
• DepEd Memorandum No. 022, s. 2026, Immediate Implementation of Energy Conservation Measures in Schools, March 25, 2026. Para. 5.
• DepEd Order No. 024, s. 2020, National Adoption and Implementation of the Philippine Professional Standards for School Heads, September 7, 2020. Strands 2.2, 2.3, 2.5, 5.2 and 5.5.

DepEd manual

• Department of Education, Adopt-a-School Program. Brigada Eskwela Manual for School Heads (2008), enclosure to DM 192, s. 2009. Preface; Background; Parts I to III; Appendices B to I.

Laws and regulations

• Republic Act No. 8525, Adopt-a-School Act of 1998, February 14, 1998. Secs. 3, 5 and 6.
• Republic Act No. 9155, Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001, August 11, 2001. Sec. 7(E)(11).
• Republic Act No. 4206, June 19, 1965, as amended by Republic Act No. 5546, June 21, 1969, on the sale of tickets and the collection of contributions in schools.
• The Family Code of the Philippines, Executive Order No. 209, July 6, 1987. Arts. 218 and 219.
• Bureau of Internal Revenue, Revenue Regulations No. 13-2025, Consolidated Provisions to Simplify and Streamline the Procedures and Requirements Relative to the Availment of the Tax Exemptions and Incentives Granted to the Participating Private Entities Under Republic Act No. 8525 or the “Adopt-a-School Act of 1998”, Republic Act No. 12063 or the “Enterprise-Based Education and Training (EBET) Framework Act”, and the Tax Code, February 20, 2025. Secs. 3(A), 3(B) and 6; footnote 4.

Court decisions

• Apolinario v. Heirs of De Los Santos, G.R. No. 219686, November 27, 2024 (First Division).

DepEd news releases

• 240,000 TUPAD workers, aalalay sa paghahanda ng mga paaralan para sa bagong school year — DepEd, DOLE, May 30, 2026.
• Brigada Eskwela 2.0: Angara, hiningi ang suporta ng TUPAD sa mga paaralang nasalanta ng habagat, August 13, 2026.

Written by Mark Anthony Llego for NASH Reviewer. Sources: DepEd Order No. 24, s. 2008; DepEd Memoranda No. 027, No. 035 and No. 064, s. 2026; the Brigada Eskwela Manual for School Heads (2008); DepEd Orders No. 40, s. 2015, No. 24, s. 2016, No. 82, s. 2011, No. 4, s. 2017, No. 013, s. 2024 and No. 009, s. 2026; Republic Act No. 8525 and BIR Revenue Regulations No. 13-2025.