DepEd Order No. 016, s. 2026: New Guidelines on Lesson Planning and Learning Design

The Department of Education (DepEd) has officially overhauled its decade-old lesson-planning guidelines, moving away from tedious paperwork toward a more flexible, efficient, and teacher-friendly framework.

Under DepEd Order (DO) No. 016, s. 2026, signed by Education Secretary Sonny Angara, the agency issued the new Guidelines on Lesson Planning and Learning Design. The order aims to transform instructional planning into a dynamic and sustainable practice, effectively repealing DO No. 42, s. 2016, which previously governed the Daily Lesson Log (DLL) and Detailed Lesson Plan (DLP).

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The ILAW Framework: Simplifying the Process

To address long-standing complaints that lesson planning has become an overly tedious, compliance-driven chore, DepEd introduced the ILAW Framework. This streamlined national standard focuses on four core elements:

• I - Intentions: Clearly identifying targeted learning competencies and manageable learning objectives aligned with learner readiness.
• L - Learning Experience: Selecting appropriate resources and mapping out a coherent, engaging, and flexible lesson flow. It includes preparing alternative resources for emergencies or mild-stress "Hinay level" situations.
• A - Assessing Learning: Conducting low-stakes formative checks throughout the session to adjust instruction immediately, rather than waiting for the end of the lesson.
• W - Ways Forward: Reflecting on the teaching experience to identify next steps, such as remediation, reteaching, or extended learning opportunities.

No More Bureaucratic Overload: The policy strictly prohibits field offices from requiring additional templates, expanded details, or supplementary documentation beyond the ILAW standard.

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Strict Guardrails on AI Use

In alignment with current digital advancements, the new policy addresses the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in lesson preparation. While AI is recognized as a helpful auxiliary tool for administrative efficiency, fully AI-generated lesson plans are strictly banned.

Teachers utilizing AI must declare its assistance under three distinct categories:

1. Prohibited AI Use: AI cannot be used for core instructional decisions, such as defining learning objectives or designing the primary ILAW elements.
2. Limited AI Use: AI may handle secondary support tasks (e.g., organizing or refining text) only after the educator has made core decisions.
3. Guided AI Use: AI may be freely used for routine technical tasks, such as grammar checks, formatting, and translation assistance.

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Support for Teachers and Inclusive Education

The new guidelines place a heavy emphasis on collaboration and teacher well-being, encouraging shared lesson planning during Learning Action Cell (LAC) sessions to reduce workloads.

Furthermore, the policy mandates that lesson planning remain context-responsive:

• Multigrade Classes: Teachers can use integrated templates that cover multiple grade levels simultaneously.
• Learners with Disabilities (LWDs): Lesson plans must reference Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) to ensure reasonable accommodations and modifications are met.
• Indigenous Peoples Education (IPEd): Lessons should integrate community competencies and Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Practices (IKSPs) via collaboration with community elders.

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Shift in Instructional Leadership

School heads and instructional leaders are directed to change how they review lesson plans. Instead of treating the lesson plan as a compliance checklist, supervisors will use a new Lesson Planning Rubric solely for coaching, mentoring, and developmental feedback.

Instructional leaders are also strongly encouraged to conduct brief, 10-to-15-minute non-rated formative walkthroughs to observe how lessons come alive in the classroom, relieving the pressure of formal performance evaluations.

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Effectivity and Transition

DO No. 016, s. 2026 takes effect immediately. To ensure a smooth transition, teachers are permitted to use the old DLL or DLP formats under DO 42, s. 2016 until the end of the first term of School Year 2026-2027. Capacity-building activities will be rolled out nationwide before full implementation begins in the second term of the school year.

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Official DepEd Issuance PDF Download

Get your copy of the official policy guidelines and the included ILAW lesson plan templates.

📥 Download DO_s2026_016r-Guidelines on Lesson Planning.pdf