Guidelines on Selecting Secondary Honor Students

The designation avaledictoriana, asalutatoriana, and ahonorable mentiona applies to graduating honor students in all secondary schools.
There must be one valedictorian and one salutatorian for all the graduating classes.
If there is a tie between two candidates, both may be declared valedictorians or salutatorians.
A secondary school must declare ahonorable mentiona equivalent to one percent (1%) of the total graduating students.

Any member of the graduating class is eligible to be a candidate for honors if all requirements are met.
A candidate must have no grade lower than 80 in any subject during third and fourth years in any grading period, as recorded in Forms 137 and 138-A.
A candidate must have no failing grade in any subject required by DECS, including non-credit subjects, during the first two curriculum years.
A candidate must have done the entire work of the third and fourth years in the secondary school where the student is graduating.
A candidate must complete the curriculum within the prescribed length in years, specifically within four consecutive years.
A candidate must be an active member in at least two existing authorized student organizations or clubs during third and fourth years in the graduating school.
A candidate must conduct himself in conformity with school rules, regulations, and policies.
Teachers, students, and parents must be informed at the beginning of the school year to prevent disqualification for failure to comply with the grade requirement.

The selection of valedictorian, salutatorian, and honorable mentiona must use criteria with relative weights.
Academic excellence carries a weight of 7 points.
Academic excellence is based on the general average of the candidate’s grades in the last two years (third and fourth years).
The final grades in the fourth year must be completed before the last three weeks of the school year and must be based on work done during the last grading period.
Performance in co-curricular activities carries a weight of 3 points.
Co-curricular performance covers achievements during the last two years, including:
- active participation in authorized student organizations or clubs,
- literary-musical activities,
- athletics at school, provincial, city, regional, national, and international levels,
- awards recognizing actualization of what the student learned from school,
- travels related to school work,
- civic activities,
- membership in the barangay,
- researches, and
- outstanding awards in athletics, school paper, and school band.
The co-curricular rating must be based on the combined assessment of all the third and fourth year teachers of the candidates.

Ranking of students for honors must be based on total weighted ranks.
The computation of total weighted ranks must be done to two decimal places, using the required method.
For academic excellence:
- compute the general average of the combined third and fourth year grades,
- rank candidates according to the average, and
- assign weight by multiplying the rank by 7.
For co-curricular activities:
- compute the composite rank (sum of all ranks given by raters) for each student,
- rank candidates from the lowest to the highest sum, and
- assign weight by multiplying the rank by 3.
For final ranks:
- add the weighted ranks from academic excellence and co-curricular activities, then
- rank the sums from the lowest to the highest.
The Order includes an illustrative example for the computations, with the example details available through the Office of the National Administration Register (ONAR), U.P. Law Center, Diliman, Quezon City.

Final selection and announcement of honor students must be made not earlier than thirty (30) days nor later than fifteen (15) days before commencement exercises or graduation rites.
Protests filed ten (10) days before the commencement exercises must not be entertained.
Orientation of the selection scheme must be conducted at the beginning of the school year for teachers, parents, and students.

The Order must be immediately disseminated to all concerned.
All rules and regulations inconsistent with DECS Order No. 49 s. 1992 are amended and rescinded.