Cebu schools — glossary

DepEd, TESDA, CHED, PEAC, ESC, NC II, ABM/STEM/HUMSS — Cebu school jargon explained in plain English (with Bisaya / Tagalog notes where it helps). Useful when you're scanning a school's website or filling out an enrolment form.

Government agencies

DepEd(Department of Education): The Philippine government agency responsible for basic education (Kindergarten through Senior High School). Sets the K-12 curriculum, accredits private schools, and runs DepEd Bogo / Talisay / Lapu-Lapu / Cebu City divisions.
CHED(Commission on Higher Education): Governs college and university (tertiary) education. Sets program standards, recognizes Center of Excellence (COE) + Center of Development (COD) designations, and handles tertiary scholarships.
TESDA(Technical Education and Skills Development Authority): Governs technical-vocational training. Accredits TVIs (Technical Vocational Institutes), administers the NC I / NC II / NC III competency assessments, and runs free skills training programs.
PEAC(Private Education Assistance Committee): A non-profit DepEd partner that administers the ESC + SHS Voucher programs — subsidies that help parents pay private school tuition for Grades 7–10 (ESC) and Grades 11–12 (SHS Voucher).
NCDA(National Council on Disability Affairs): The agency that maintains lists of accredited SPED schools, therapy centers, and inclusive-education partners. Useful as a starting point for verifying a school's SPED programs.

Voucher + subsidy programs

ESC(Education Service Contracting): PEAC subsidy for Junior High School (Grades 7–10) at qualified private schools. Voucher amount is set yearly by DepEd. Roughly half of Cebu Catholic + Christian private schools accept ESC.
SHS Voucher(Senior High School Voucher Program): PEAC subsidy for Senior High School (Grades 11–12). Amount in Cebu is typically ₱17,500–₱22,500 per school year — paid straight to the school. Read our guide on PEAC vouchers.
Scholarship: School-administered tuition subsidy. Types: academic (top grades), need-based (family income), athletic (varsity), cultural (band, choir), and sibling discount. Stacks with PEAC vouchers at participating schools.

School levels + strands

K-12: The 12-year basic education program: Kindergarten + 6 years elementary (Grades 1–6) + 4 years Junior High School (Grades 7–10) + 2 years Senior High School (Grades 11–12). Mandatory in the Philippines since RA 10533 (2013).
JHS(Junior High School): Grades 7 to 10 in the DepEd K-12 system.
SHS(Senior High School): Grades 11 to 12 in the DepEd K-12 system. Students choose a "strand" (ABM, STEM, HUMSS, GAS, or TVL) that shapes their final two years of basic education.
ABM(Accountancy, Business and Management): SHS academic strand for students aiming at business / accounting / management university programs.
STEM(Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics): SHS academic strand for students aiming at engineering / health-sciences / sciences in university.
HUMSS(Humanities and Social Sciences): SHS academic strand for students aiming at law, education, psychology, social sciences, communication.
GAS(General Academic Strand): SHS academic strand that keeps options open — for students still undecided on university direction.
TVL(Technical-Vocational-Livelihood): SHS strand that pairs academic subjects with TESDA-aligned skills training (Automotive Servicing, Computer Systems Servicing, Electrical Installation, Food Production, Hospitality Operations, etc.) — graduates often leave with an NC II.

Curriculum frameworks

IB(International Baccalaureate): A globally recognized curriculum used by international schools (in Cebu: CIS, Singapore School Cebu). The full IB Continuum spans PYP (early years to Grade 5), MYP (Grades 6–10), and DP (Grades 11–12).
Cambridge(Cambridge International (CIE)): A British-rooted international curriculum offered by CIE British School and Singapore School Cebu, leading to Cambridge IGCSE qualifications at Grade 10 + A-Level / pre-university at Grades 11–12.
Montessori: A child-led, mixed-age, hands-on educational method developed by Maria Montessori. In Cebu, many preschools advertise as "Montessori-inspired" — true authentic Montessori programs run mixed-age classrooms with a 3-hour uninterrupted work cycle and Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) accredited materials.
Singapore curriculum: A drill-heavy primary-school math + English program imported from Singapore, used by Singapore School Cebu and other ASEAN-affiliated programs. Known for procedural strength in arithmetic.

Inclusive + therapy

SPED(Special Education): Programs for students with learning differences, autism, ADHD, Down syndrome, cerebral palsy, or other special needs. Cebu has dedicated SPED centers and inclusive mainstream schools.
ILRC(Inclusive Learning Resource Center): DepEd's newer term for SPED programs under the Inclusive Education Act (RA 11650, 2022). All public schools are required to have an ILRC; private inclusive schools are encouraged to follow suit.
OT(Occupational Therapy): Therapy that helps kids develop the motor + sensory + daily-living skills needed for "the occupations of childhood" — eating, dressing, writing, social play. Sessions are usually 45–60 min once or twice per week.
ST(Speech Therapy / Speech-Language Pathology): Therapy that addresses articulation, language comprehension, expressive language, social communication, and feeding / swallowing. Common for children with autism, language delays, or speech-sound disorders.
ABA(Applied Behavior Analysis): A structured, data-driven behavioral intervention most commonly used for children with autism. Cebu has several ABA-trained therapy centers and shadow-teacher providers.
Shadow teacher: A trained paraprofessional who accompanies a child with special needs in a mainstream classroom — providing one-on-one support, scaffolding instruction, and managing sensory needs. See our guide on shadow teachers in Cebu.

Vocational + post-school

TVI(Technical Vocational Institute): A TESDA-accredited school that runs technical training programs — culinary, beauty care, automotive, driving, hospitality, IT, maritime, etc. Cebu has 200+ TVIs across the province.
NC II(National Certificate Level II): TESDA-issued competency certification covering specific job skills — Driving NC II, Cookery NC II, Computer Systems Servicing NC II, etc. Recognized by Philippine + many Middle East / Southeast Asia employers.
Review center: A coaching school specialized in entrance / board exam preparation — UPCAT, ACET, DLSUCET, USC entrance, nursing board exam, civil service. Not the same as a tutorial center.
Tutorial center: A supplemental learning center that helps schoolchildren with daily homework + struggling subjects. Cebu has many small neighborhood "tutorial / homework help" centers.

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