#shs

📬 Archived Letters #03 — “hey, co-pres.” ╰┈➤ for the girl who was just supposed to keep the peace but ended up losing her heart to the chaos in a HUMSS president's smile.

pairings. HUMSS president!yang jungwon x STEM class president!reader

w.c. 2.1k

soundtracks. miss miss by rob deniel, every summertime by niki, style by hearts2hearts

author's note. Writing this fic made me miss my days as president… and lowkey, that one co-president I used to argue with 24/7. Miss na kita haha.

shs masterlist.

From: CSC President - Clarisse Dela Cruz To: STEM Section Matteo President, HUMSS President Subject: Assignment for Intramurals Supervision

Good day,

Attached is the list of sports for which we need student leaders to supervise. For the Basketball Game 3 on Day 2, the assigned monitors are:

STEM Representative: [Your Name] (President, STEM Section Matteo)

HUMSS Representative: Yang Jungwon (President)

Please coordinate and ensure a smooth and sportsmanlike game environment. Thank you!

"Shit."

That was my very intellectual and presidential reaction upon reading the email.

I mean, seriously? Basketball? Of all the sports, why was that given to me? Sure, there is handsome players I like in that sport but PLEASE I would've preferred watching the volleyball games with my friends, or better yet, just cheering from the STEM booth, waving our giant cutouts and screaming "S-T-E-M! Let's go STEM!" like the proud, noisy strand we were.

But no. Destiny had other plans. Destiny named Clarisse, the CSC President, who apparently thought it would be cute to pair me up with Yang Jungwon.

Yang. Freaking. Jungwon.

President of the HUMSS Strand. Mr. "Perfect Hair Even After PE," Mr. "Straight-A While Chairing Three Clubs," Mr. "Every Teacher's Favorite HUMSS Golden Boy."

And now, apparently, my partner of being pseudo-police in the Basketball Court.

I flopped onto my seat and dramatically groaned.

"Pres, you ok?" Jiwoo asked, one of the class officers I'm with.

"Nope," I answered while I covered my face with my hands. "The noise of the Humanistas will kill me."

As if on cue, I heard the loud screams of the HUMSS students:

"Hu! Ma! Nis! Ta!!"

Along with STEM on the other side:

"S! T! E! M! Let's go STEM! S! T! E! M! Let's go STEM!"

Great just great. War of the Worlds but pom-poms and DIY megaphones are used. I opened my phone again. Jungwon had already messaged me.

Jungwon: Hi. See you on the court later. Let me know if you want to go early so we could check the seating arrangement?

Professional. Polite. Take the HUMSS persona seriously.

I typed back:

Me: Copy. I'm already here in the bleachers. I got here early since we finished tying the ribbons in our booth.

His reply came in a heartbeat:

Jungwon: Okay. Take care. Drink water to stay hydrated. It's hot :))

I stared at the message.

Why is there a smiley? Why does it look sweet? Why am I excited?

No. This is a strictly political alliance.

By the time I arrived, the court was already packed. Each strand had their banners waving, the color red and blue flying, and DIY megaphones blaring. On the sidelines, I spotted Heeseung already setting up his camera, adjusting the lens like a pro. He was scouting for good angles to post later on the school publication's Facebook and Instagram pages—calm, composed, and definitely treating this like the Met Gala.

“S-T-E-M! Let’s go STEM!” my strand chanted like it was a war cry.

“Hu! Ma! Nis! Ta!!” the other side fired back immediately, waving their flags with cut-outs of their players’ faces. So competitive.

My eyes instantly found my classmates especially the boys in the back who seemed like the universe’s way of combining all the noise and chaos into one section. Some of them even had face paint, one brought a DIY drum made from a water container, and Yeonjun the loudest of them all was holding up a cardboard cutout of #7 with blinking lights. Probably made by STEM’s props team.

“Pres! Do your job, okay? HUMSS might try to steal you!” one of my classmates shouted, followed by laughter from his group.

“Or maybe Jungwon’s the one planning to steal you!” Yeonjun butted in, of course, adding a dramatic wink. If teasing was a sport, he’d win gold.

“Cut it out! You guys are the first ones I’ll keep an eye on! Be on your best behavior this is why intrams this year almost got cancelled!” I yelled back, though I couldn’t stop smiling. They were chaotic, competitive, borderline reckless. And for better or worse, they were STEM’s personal cheer squad.

And right in the middle of it all, standing by the officials' table like he owned the place, was Jungwon.

White polo, black slacks, black tie, ID hanging neatly with badges from his strand and the clubs he chaired. The sun hit him just right—and for a second, you’d think he was the star player, not the student monitor.

He looked good.

We’d been schoolmates for years. Same batch since junior high, sometimes even in the same classes. We always ended up working together on something group projects, class campaigns, school-wide events. And every time, he was like that: calm, efficient, soft-spoken but sharp. And friendly. Always friendly.

Too friendly, honestly.

There was a time I liked him. Just a small crush. Harmless. Maybe back in junior year? I think. I don’t even remember. That’s over. I’ve moved on. Totally. Completely. As in, absolutely nothing there anymore.

“Hey, Co-Pres,” he said with a small smile when he spotted me. “Ready to act as referee-slash-bouncer?”

“I’d rather be a cheerleader, honestly,” I muttered, adjusting the STEM badge on my chest while watching my classmates nearly fall off the bleachers mid-cheer.

He chuckled. “Is that so? Should I get you some pompoms? You’d look cute with them.”

My eyes widened. “Duh, have you seen this cute face!”

He just turned away, pretending to check the player line-up. “Alright. Next time, I’ll bring some. Might help you look better.”

The nerve.

During the Game

The match was intense. STEM and HUMSS players were neck and neck and so were their fans. One cheer would spark a louder counter-cheer, until you could barely hear the referee’s whistle. The covered court was alive with flags, face paint, and pure adrenaline.

Jungwon stood beside me, arms crossed, lips pressed into a thin line of fake seriousness as he peeked at the score. You could see it on the side of his face, that focused look of his. Eyebrows slightly furrowed. That classic Jungwon concentration, like there was a big exam tomorrow.

I leaned in, pretending to get a better view of the scoreboard. “Looks like STEM’s gonna win,” I said, letting my tone drip with teasing.

He scoffed. “In your dreams. HUMSS is dominating the second half.”

I tilted my head toward the court. “Yeah, especially #24. Ramos.” I sighed dramatically. “He’s so good, right? Tall, has ball control, quiet but confident. I’d trust him with the ball and maybe even my heart. He looks like…boyfriend material.”

He whipped his head toward me so fast, you’d think I tapped him on the back. “Wait. You have a crush on him?”

“Hmm…” I pretended to think, watching Ramos sprint across the court. “He’s tall. He’s skilled. Not arrogant but super charismatic. And when he smiles? Instant MVP vibes.”

Jungwon let out a sharp breath—a borderline scoff. “So that’s your type? Someone in a jersey, holding a ball, and always running in slow motion?”

I grinned. “You know it! Thank you, Mr. HUMSS President.”

He rolled his eyes. “Wow. Here I am sacrificing my whole afternoon making sure no one starts a fight, and you’re out here scouting for a boyfriend.”

I patted his arm. “Multitasking. Very STEM behavior. Why do one thing when you could do two?”

“You know what?” he said, turning to me now with that annoyingly attractive smug look. “If I were your varsity player, you wouldn’t need to look at anyone else.”

I blinked, caught off guard. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me,” he said, voice low and confident. “If I were your player, I’d make sure I’m the only one you watch. From warm-up to final buzzer.”

I clutched my chest dramatically, pretending to be scandalized. “Wow. That was dangerously smooth. Did the HUMSS President just flirt with me? While on duty?”

He leaned in a little, eyes twinkling with mischief. “I don’t follow rules when it comes to you.”

Butterflies. Literal butterflies. I almost forgot we were in the middle of a crowd.

But I didn’t back down.

“Careful, Mr. President. You might get a foul for that.”

He smirked. “That’s fine. Might end up being a three-point play.”

I burst into laughter, shaking my head. “You’re so full of yourself.”

He chuckled. “Not full of myself. Just confident. I mean—even if Ramos is your type—I know I’ve got the edge.”

“Oh?” I raised a brow, intrigued. “And what exactly is that?”

He leaned even closer this time, whispering just loud enough for me to hear: “I’m the only one who’s ever done student duty with you… while you’re blushing.”

My jaw dropped. “You shameless little—!”

“Exactly,” he cut in with a grin, stepping back. “You already took it from me.”

I was stunned. I couldn’t even think of a comeback.

Then, just as #7 scored again and the STEM crowd roared in celebration, Jungwon tilted his head toward me and said:

“Congrats on your crush. But when you go home later, guess who spent the whole game by your side?”

I tried not to smile. Failed.

“Psh. Maybe you’re just taking advantage of the fact that we were forced to be together.”

STEM won. By one point.

As in, just one. And still, the court exploded like we’d just won the championship. Screaming. Pushing. Someone even climbed onto the railings, waving banners like a maniac. There was confetti—from who-knows-where. STEM was on fire.

Everyone from our strand was on their feet, yelling, jumping like we hit the lottery. One guy even screamed, “#7 FREE FOODS ON YOU!!!” while he was being lifted by our classmates. It was pure chaos. Glorious, sweaty chaos.

Me? I was half-celebrating, half-dazed, and fully exhausted.

I turned to Jungwon who—despite HUMSS’s narrow loss—was calmly clapping, still wearing that soft, boyish smile. No bitterness. No pouting. Just… calm. Cool. Jungwon.

“Good game,” I said, nudging him lightly with my elbow.

“Good partner,” he replied, nudging me back.

That shouldn't have made my heart skip a beat. But of course—it did. dimple king with soft eyes? Yeah. Fatal combo.

“Wow,” I teased, side-eyeing him. “Is this how you recover? Lose the game but still find time to flirt?”

“Flirt? That was just a compliment.” He raised a brow. “Unless... you were affected?”

I gave him a look. “Wow. You think I fall that easily?”

“Says the girl with a soft spot for varsity boys,” he smirked. “I saw that smile you gave to Ramos.”

I gasped—dramatically. “Excuse me?! Were you watching me instead of the game? Not very focused, Mr. President.”

“Multitasking,” he shrugged, throwing my own word back at me. “I’m very efficient.”

“You’re unbelievable,” I muttered, rolling my eyes but grinning anyway. “For your information, I used to crush on varsity players. Past tense. It’s just a high school phase.”

“Ohh. So you used to like varsity players?” He leaned in, eyes gleaming. “Does that mean I have a chance at being your next one?”

I bit back a smile barely. “What, you planning to join the basketball team now? If I didn't?”

“If that’s what it takes,” he said smoothly. “Though I think I can win your attention even without the jersey.”

My breath caught.

“Confident,” I muttered, turning away to hide my cheeks. “Didn’t know HUMSS came with that much ego.”

“Not ego,” he said, a little softer this time. “Just… certainty.”

And the worst part? That kind of certainty felt dangerous.

Eventually, the crowd started to thin. The roar faded to background noise. Finally, we sank down into the now-empty bleachers. I slouched immediately, the adrenaline draining from my body.

“I’m so tired,” I groaned, tilting my head back.

Jungwon stretched out his legs and let out a long sigh. “Same. But that was fun.”

I nodded. “Way more fun than I expected, actually.”

He turned to me, one arm casually resting on the bench behind me. “Did you think it’d be boring being partnered with me?”

“Well,” I teased, “I thought you were the serious type. All business. Too busy being ‘Mr. President’ to joke around.”

“And now?”

I looked sideways at him, lips twitching. “Now it turns out… you’re the biggest troublemaker in HUMSS.”

He faked offense. “Excuse me? Says the girl who couldn’t stop flirting with varsity boys.”

I gasped again. “You still haven’t moved on from that?”

“Nope,” he said smugly. “Because I know for a fact that I'm the only one you see and like”

I burst out laughing. “Oh my god. You really think you are?”

Then came the silence. Not awkward. Not loud. Just… warm. Familiar.

He tapped my shoe with his.

“Hey,” he said, softer now. “Next game… do you still wanna be my partner? Even if we’re not assigned together?”

I turned to look at him. “Even if it’s not basketball?”

“Even if it’s badminton. Or chess. Or that carnival game where you drop coins into cups,” he chuckled. “As long as I’m with you.”

Suddenly, it wasn’t about the game anymore. Or the crowd. Or strand rivalries.

It was about this. Him. Us.

“Okay,” I whispered, nudging his knee with mine. “As long as it’s you, you’re the exception.”

His grin widened, eyes crinkling with the kind of quiet happiness that slips under your skin before you can stop it.

If there’s a characters, life alway finds the way.

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“Two Tracks, One Future?”

The Department of Education’s Strengthened Senior High School (SHS) Program — which replaces the familiar strands (STEM, HUMSS, ABM, AFA, GAS, and TVL sub-strands) with just two pathways (Academic and Technical-Professional / “TechPro”) and a trimmed set of core subjects — is being piloted for SY 2025–2026 and rolled out in selected schools. On paper the move promises clarity, less subject congestion, and better industry links. In practice, however, it risks weakening specialization, muddying college-prep signals, and shifting costs and complexity onto schools and families that can least afford it. Below I explain why this reform deserves a hard second look.

What exactly is changing?

Key, confirmed details from DepEd’s official issuances and shaping papers:

• The SHS program will pilot a transition from four tracks (Academic, Tech-Voc/TVL, Arts & Design, Sports) and many fixed strands to two primary pathways: Academic and Technical-Professional (TechPro). Schools will offer clusters of electives aligned to those pathways instead of fixed strands. Core subjects are reduced to a smaller set of integrative courses offered across the year. The policy is being piloted in Grade 11 for SY 2025–2026 in selected schools.

• DepEd frames the change as simplification: fewer overlapping core subjects, more electives (organized into clusters), stronger work immersion / industry links, and more flexible student choice within electives. The official guidance emphasizes career guidance tools and prioritizing electives according to each school’s capacity.

Why some of the rhetoric sounds good — and why it isn’t enough

There are legitimate problems in the current SHS model: an overly congested curriculum, variation in how strands are offered across schools, and weak industry linkages that produce graduates with certificates but limited employability gains. DepEd cites research and consultation in arguing reforms are needed. Trimming unnecessary content and strengthening immersion are sound goals.

But good intentions don’t automatically translate into good outcomes. The devil — as always — lies in the implementation.

The biggest problems this reform creates (or fails to fix)

1. Loss of clear specialization and signaling

Strands — for all their problems — gave students and universities (and employers) a clear signal: a student came from STEM or HUMSS or ABM. Conflating those into a single “Academic” pathway with elective clusters may blur the meaningful differences in preparation for highly selective college courses (engineering, medicine, accountancy) or for specialized arts programs. Elective clusters sound flexible, but flexibility can mean inconsistency: two students labeled “Academic” from different schools may have wildly different preparation. That hurts students applying to college and universities trying to evaluate readiness.

2. STEM pipeline at risk

The new list of prioritized core subjects scales back semesterized content and promises science electives — but with elective status, not guaranteed sequential discipline exposure for all Academic students. If Physics, Chemistry, or advanced Math become optional electives in many schools, students interested in STEM degrees will be disadvantaged unless their school explicitly offers and resources those electives — which many schools may not be able to do. This is especially acute for public and rural schools. The SHS shaping paper itself notes uneven gains from SHS graduates in the labor market, but the proposed simplification could undercut the pipeline that feeds STEM degrees and technical higher education unless paired with strong, resourced implementation.

3. Unequal capacity and an unfunded mandate

DepEd will let school heads decide which electives to offer, guided by teacher availability, facilities, and minimum learner numbers. But that precisely magnifies inequality: richer urban schools and private schools will continue to offer Tier 1 and Tier 2 electives (and thus keep giving choices to students), while many public, small, and rural schools will be limited to a thin menu — or none at all. Pilot selection criteria even listed “sufficiency of teachers” and facilities as reasons for choosing pilot schools, showing DepEd knows capacity matters — yet the program depends heavily on schools fixing those gaps locally. Without substantial, targeted funding and teacher deployment, the change will widen disparities.

4. Risk to early career/TVET pathways if TechPro is not fully resourced

The renamed and consolidated TechPro track promises NC II and work immersion alignment. But the TVL/TechPro track historically suffers from uneven quality of training, limited industry accreditation, and weak apprenticeship pipelines. If TechPro becomes a catch-all category with diluted content (to fit schools’ capacities), graduates could leave SHS with certificates that local employers do not recognize — repeating past mistakes. The pilot design and DepEd’s insistence on industry linkages are positive, but they must be matched by real partnerships, assessment capacity, and local enterprise engagement.

5. Student voice and transition costs

Parents, guidance counselors, and students need real, localized career guidance to make elective choices that still keep future options open. DepEd points to the NCAE and other tools, but scaling quality guidance counselors across thousands of schools is costly and time-consuming. Families may incur out-of-pocket costs (transport, materials, private tutoring) if their school lacks an elective they want — and altered elective availability could force students to shift tracks mid-course, disrupting progression.

So what should DepEd (and policy-makers) do instead — practical fixes

• Guarantee a baseline for specialization. Require that a minimum, sequential set of science/math electives be available regionally (through shared classes, cluster schools, blended delivery) to protect the STEM pipeline.

• Fund and deploy specialized teachers (especially science/math and TechPro assessors) as part of the rollout — not leave it to local schools alone.

• Mandate and fund strong industry partnerships with clear KPIs (hiring pathways, apprenticeship placements, NC accreditation) so TechPro certificates mean something to employers.

• Monitor equity outcomes during the pilot and publish disaggregated results (by region, urban/rural, public/private) before national scaling. The pilot offers an opportunity to correct course — use it.

Simplifying a clunky, overcrowded curriculum is a defensible aim. But replacing meaningful specialization with nominal flexibility — without the funding, teacher deployment, and regional guarantees to back it — risks producing an SHS that is simpler on paper but harder for students to use as a launchpad into college, technical careers, or decent jobs. If DepEd wants this to be more than a headline, it must back words with resources, enforce minimums for specialist offerings, and be transparent about where (and why) the pilot succeeds or fails. Otherwise, we’ll have traded strands for ambiguity — and that ambiguity will hit the poorest students first.

References & further reading

• DepEd — announcement of public consultation for Strengthened SHS curriculum (April 2025)

• DepEd — the “Enclosure to DepEd Memorandum No. 048, s. 2025”: Pilot Implementation of Strengthened SHS Curriculum for Grade 11 SY 2025–2026

• PIDS / news summary of DepEd rollout of new Senior High curriculum

• GMA News — DepEd sets online public consultation for revised SHS curriculum

• GMA News — DepEd: 841 schools to join pilot run of revised SHS curriculum

• Philippine News Agency — Senate panel backs SHS overhaul as DepEd unveils reform plan

• GMA / reporting on concerns by senator Sherwin Gatchalian about reducing SHS tracks and shifting electives

• PIA (Philippine Information Agency) — DepEd highlights ‘strengthened’ senior high school curriculum