TL;DR: Recognition day in public schools was rewritten for school year 2026-2027. DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026, issued 4 June 2026, repealed both DepEd Order No. 8, s. 2015 and DepEd Order No. 36, s. 2016. The three honours tiers are gone. There is now one Academic Excellence Award for Grades 4 to 12: a general average of at least 90, no final grade below 80, and no derogatory records or disciplinary cases, with awardees listed alphabetically rather than ranked. Kindergarten to Grade 3 receive no academic awards at all, only Character Traits Awards, a Certificate of Merit and a Perfect Attendance Award. A school Awards Committee decides, and a protest must be filed within five working days of the announcement. No fee may be collected for the ceremony.
Recognition day is one of the most out-of-date topics in Philippine education content, because almost everything written about it describes an order that no longer exists. This guide works from the text of the order that governs now, separates recognition day from graduation, and covers the parts parents actually contact schools about: who decides, what the ceremony may cost, and what to do if a result looks wrong.
Recognition Day, Moving Up, Graduation: Not the Same Thing
The three get used interchangeably and are governed differently.
End-of-school-year rites are set by DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2023, An Order Updating the Multi-Year Implementing Guidelines on the Conduct of the K to 12 Basic Education Program End-of-School-Year Rites, which is DepEd's standing policy on the annual conduct of these ceremonies for both public and private schools.
| Grade level | Rite | Proof of completion |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | Moving Up | Kindergarten Certificate |
| Grade 6 | Graduation | Elementary Certificate |
| Grade 10 | Moving Up | Junior High School Certificate |
| Grade 12 | Graduation | Senior High School Diploma |
Recognition is the awarding component, and it is not limited to those four levels. DepEd Memorandum No. 015, s. 2026 states that all learners, including transferees, who have met the standards and criteria shall be recognised. That is why a Grade 5 learner can be called on stage in a school with no Grade 5 rite: the recognition programme covers grade levels the moving-up and graduation rites do not.
The annual dates come from a DepEd Memorandum issued each year rather than from a standing order. For SY 2025-2026, DepEd Memorandum No. 015, s. 2026 set the rites for either 30 or 31 March 2026, under the theme Filipino Graduates: Prepared to Lead with Competence and Character. The theme and the dates change every year and are announced together, so check the current memorandum rather than assuming last year's schedule.
What Awards Exist Now?
DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026, the Revised Guidelines on Classroom Assessment, Grading System, and Awards and Recognition for the K to 12 Basic Education Program, is the operative document. It is implemented starting school year 2026-2027 and it repeals DO 8, s. 2015 and DO 36, s. 2016 outright.
| Award | Who qualifies |
|---|---|
| Academic Excellence Award | Grades 4 to 12 with a general average of at least 90, no final grade below 80, no derogatory records or disciplinary cases within the school year. Listed alphabetically. |
| Leadership Excellence Award | Learner leaders or officers with no failing grades and no derogatory records, scored on motivational and communication skills (40%), planning and organisational ability (40%), and contribution to school or community (20%), needing at least 90% of the total rating |
| Excellence in a Specific Learning Area | The highest final grade in the batch in that learning area, provided it is not lower than 90. Ties are all recognised. |
| Excellence in Work Immersion, Field Exposure, Arts Apprenticeship | Graduating senior high learners with the highest grade in the area, endorsed by the industry partner or workplace supervisor, with a rating of at least 90 |
| Excellence in Research | Grade 12 learners who took Research 1 and 2, individually or in groups of up to four, scored on the final grade (20%), significance (35%), rigour (30%) and defence (15%) |
| Excellence in Design and Innovation | Grade 12 learners who took Design and Innovation 1 and 2, scored on the final grade, significance, originality, feasibility and demonstration |
| Special Recognition Awards | Learners who bring honour to the school through distinction in recognised competitions at regional, national or international level |
The medal itself is specified: a gold medal accompanies all major awards, bearing the DepEd seal, 6 centimetres in diameter, 30 grams in weight, on a gold ribbon 1 inch wide. Certificates state the specific award and must carry the date and venue of the awarding ceremony. Our post on the DepEd certificate of recognition covers the paperwork side.
What Changed, and What Most Pages Still Say
The single biggest change is that ranking is gone. Under DO 36, s. 2016 there were three tiers, commonly cited as 90 to 94, 95 to 97 and 98 to 100. Those thresholds are on thousands of pages, on certificate templates, and in school memos. DO 015, s. 2026 replaced all of it with one award and an alphabetical list, stating that the purpose is "to promote fairness and minimize competition."
If your child needs their actual rank for a college application, the order provides a route: schools may issue a certification of actual academic rank upon formal written request. Our guides to the With Honors averages and the ranking of honours cover the repeal in more detail, including what happened to valedictorian and salutatorian.
The second change catches parents of younger children by surprise. In Key Stage 1, no academic awards are conferred at all, in line with the descriptive grading system, with the order stating the aim of "avoiding early competition and labeling." What remains is non-academic: Character Traits Awards at the end of each academic term, limited to five core awards, a Certificate of Merit at year end naming the competency the learner most improved in, and a Perfect Attendance Award based on School Form 2 attendance records. Grades 2 and 3 stay eligible for academic awards while they are still on numerical grading during the transition.
Who Decides, and How to Contest a Result
Every school organises an Awards Committee at the beginning of the school year, one per grade level, or a single committee in small schools. It must have at least three members from the teaching staff including a guidance counsellor or designated teacher, an odd number of members, and no member related within the second degree of consanguinity or affinity to any candidate. If the School Head is related to a candidate, the School Head must inhibit and approval passes to the next ranking official.
The committee's timeline under DO 015, s. 2026 is fixed:
| When | What the Awards Committee does |
|---|---|
| Beginning of school year | Sets processes, timelines and criteria, develops rubrics, secures School Head approval |
| Opening period to end of Term 1 | Communicates processes, timelines and criteria to learners, parents and stakeholders, with acknowledgment from parents or guardians |
| Middle of Term 3 | Advisers and club moderators endorse qualified nominees; committee validates documents and portfolios |
| End of Term 3 | Conducts academic deliberations, finalises results, submits to School Head, announces the final list |
Evaluation uses SF9, the Learner's Progress Report Card, and SF10, the Learner's Permanent Academic Record, as primary references for the Academic Excellence Award, and verified portfolios for the others. Our SF9 report card guide explains what that record contains.
To contest a result: a protest is filed by the learner, with the parent or guardian, to the School Head within five working days from the announcement of awardees. The School Head acts within two working days from filing. DepEd Memorandum No. 015, s. 2026 separately requires the School Awards Committee to deliberate at least five calendar days before the rites, which is what makes that window workable.
What a School Cannot Ask For
Three standing rules, reiterated in DepEd Memorandum No. 015, s. 2026.
No fees. No individual shall be allowed to collect any kind of contribution or fee from learners and teachers for graduation or moving-up ceremonies, in accordance with DepEd Order No. 19, s. 2008, the No Collection Policy. Public schools are also strictly prohibited from requiring learners to accomplish end-of-school-year financial clearances. Our no collection policy guide covers the standing rule and its limits.
No non-academic requirements. Non-academic projects articulated in DepEd Order No. 66, s. 2017 on off-campus activities, such as attendance at field trips, film showings, the Junior-Senior Promenade and other school events, shall not be imposed as graduation or completion requirements. Our graduation requirements and clearance guide covers what may legitimately be required.
No excess. Ceremonies shall be simple yet meaningful, conducted without excessive spending, extravagant attire or extraordinary venues, with expenses in public schools charged to the school's Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses. Rites must not be used as a political forum, in compliance with DepEd Order No. 48, s. 2018 on electioneering. Schools are advised to hold rites in indoor venues with proper ventilation or covered courts and to avoid the hottest hours of the day.
Disclaimer: award criteria, ceremony dates and annual themes are set by DepEd issuances that change, and division offices add their own instructions. Confirm with your school head or schools division office before relying on any date or requirement here.
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Sources
- DepEd Order No. 015, s. 2026 - Revised Guidelines on Classroom Assessment, Grading System, and Awards and Recognition for the K to 12 Basic Education Program, full PDF, source of the Academic Excellence Award criteria, the award list, the Key Stage 1 rule, the medal specifications, the Awards Committee composition and timeline, and the protest window
- DepEd - June 4, 2026 DO 015, s. 2026, official issuance page
- DepEd Order No. 009, s. 2023 - An Order Updating the Multi-Year Implementing Guidelines on the Conduct of the K to 12 Basic Education Program End-of-School-Year Rites, full PDF, source of the rite-by-grade-level table, the attire guidance and the standing prohibitions
- DepEd Memorandum No. 015, s. 2026 - Conduct of the K to 12 Basic Education Program End-of-School-Year Rites for the School Year 2025-2026, official issuance page, source of the March 2026 dates, the theme, the five-calendar-day deliberation rule and the reiterated no-collection and no-clearance provisions
- DepEd Order No. 19, s. 2008 - Implementation of the No Collection Policy in All Public Elementary and Secondary Schools, official issuance page
- DepEd Order No. 36, s. 2016 - Policy Guidelines on Awards and Recognition for the K to 12 Basic Education Program, full PDF of the repealed order, for comparison
- SchoolFinderPH - With Honors average under DepEd rules
