Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara has approved extending the maximum repayment period for salary loans of DepEd personnel from five years to seven years, a move aimed at easing the financial burden on teachers and school employees. In a statement on Friday, DepEd said the policy, contained in DepEd Order No. According to DepEd, the updated policy builds on an earlier reform that had already extended the maximum loan term from three years to five years. Angara said the latest measure is intended to reduce the monthly loan payments of teachers and personnel. (We continue to look for concrete ways to ease the daily lives of our teachers and personnel.)