PUBLIC schools in the Davao Region opened their doors to students with full lessons underway on Monday, June 16, 2025, marking a promising start to School Year 2025–2026 under the Department of Education’s (DepEd) “Lesson One on Day One” directive.
Gone were the traditional orientations and cleanup drives that typically kick off the school year. Instead, nearly 1.4 million learners across the region jumped straight into academic instruction as part of DepEd’s push for a more efficient and focused opening.
“Our goal is simple: on day one, lesson one,” DepEd Davao regional director Allan Farnazo told SunStar Davao in the vernacular in a Viber interview. “From what I’ve seen on the ground, schools are hitting or are very close to their enrollment targets, and classes began without delay.”
High enrollment, real-time challenges
At Daniel R. Aguinaldo National High School (DRANHS) in Davao City, Farnazo monitored Grade 7 enrollment—one of the region’s key entry levels, along with Grade 11, kindergarten, and Grade 1. While last year’s Grade 7 enrollment was around 1,220, this year’s figure has already reached 1,114, with more expected in the coming days.
“We project total regional enrollment to hit between 1.4 and 1.45 million this year, up from last year’s 1.393 million,” he shared. The regional office is also monitoring cross-enrollment activity, especially in border provinces like Bukidnon, Cotabato, and General Santos, where geographic proximity often influences student movement.
In a separate Messenger interview with SunStar Davao, DepEd Davao City Division schools division Reynante Solitario said that all 438 public schools began classes without delay.
“It’s a go for all schools. No orientation, no cleanup — just classes right away,” Solitario said in the vernacular. “That was the instruction from the start.” He clarified that a short orientation was conducted during the flag-raising ceremony.
While most schools achieved near-complete attendance, some students had yet to return from their home provinces, prompting DepEd to allow late enrollees within the week.
“We encouraged schools to aim for 100 percent enrollment,” Solitario explained. “But some students are still deciding whether to return, especially those who traveled during the break.”
Overcrowded classrooms, double shifts
The region’s growing student population has also led to challenges in classroom capacity, especially in high-demand schools such as Davao City National High School (DCNHS) and Magallanes Elementary School (MES), where two-shift schedules are now in place — morning classes from 6 a.m. to 12 noon, and afternoon classes from noon to 6 p.m.
DCNHS principal Evelyn Magno, in an interview after the flag-raising ceremony, said the school was fully prepared to welcome students back, thanks to efforts made during Brigada Eskwela and the use of DepEd’s school readiness tool.
“We finalized the class schedules, posted student lists on classroom doors, and ensured that teachers were ready. All classes began right after the flag ceremony,” Magno shared.
She acknowledged that the school had faced a shortage of chairs, but this was resolved the week before classes opened.
“We addressed the chair shortage early last week, so all classrooms were equipped on time,” she added.
Solitario said uneven enrollment among schools remains an issue, with some schools having underused rooms while others operate at full capacity. In one case, Palma Gil Elementary School had enough classrooms but fewer students, while nearby Magallanes Elementary School struggled with crowding due to parents preference for half-day schedules.
“Parents still choose where to enroll, and many prefer schools that offer half-day classes, even if it means overcrowding,” he added.
Welcoming atmosphere
Despite the logistical hurdles, many schools went the extra mile to make learners feel welcome. In areas like Tibungco, some teachers prepared mascots and engaging activities to make the first day of classes exciting for students.
“There are schools that are really creative,” Solitario shared. “The atmosphere was very friendly, especially for our younger learners. That’s what makes students want to come back.”
At Kapitan Tomas Monteverde Sr. Central Elementary School (KTMCES), the first day of classes unfolded smoothly as the school formally opened its gates on Monday morning. Teachers and staff were on hand early to ensure a welcoming and organized environment for learners.
The day began with a flag ceremony at 7 a.m., where students, teachers, and school personnel gathered at the grounds for brief reminders and words of encouragement to set a positive tone for the school year.
Parents and guardians accompanied their children, especially the younger ones, offering both support and emotional reassurance.
"Excited pero murag kapoy. Dugay-dugay jud ang pagpangandam — maybe two months? Hinay-hinay palit sa gamit hantod ma-intact (Excited but kind of tired. The preparation really took a while — maybe two months? Slowly buying the needed school supplies until everything was complete)," shared Alicel Matalandag, mother of Grade 2 and Grade 5 learners, referring to the long but rewarding preparation for the new school year.
Throughout the morning, learners across grade levels were welcomed into their classrooms, where teachers conducted brief classroom orientations and simple welcome activities. School principal Riza P. Lobitos personally made rounds in each classroom, checking in on students and extending support to teachers.
Inter-agency support
Farnazo also praised the coordinated efforts of local agencies in ensuring a safe and efficient school opening. He acknowledged the support of the City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and other local security personnel for their visibility and presence in school zones.
“This level of coordination is a sign of effective governance,” Farnazo said. “We’re grateful to our partners for helping ensure a smooth first day.”
However, not all areas were spared from disruption. In Jose Abad Santos, Davao Occidental, classes were temporarily suspended due to bad weather. Farnazo clarified that weather-related suspensions are at the discretion of local government units, prioritizing student safety.
Farnazo and Solitario confirmed that enrollment monitoring will continue throughout June, and school operations are expected to normalize by the end of the week.
With strong inter-agency coordination, growing enrollment, and committed educators, the Davao Region is starting the academic year with momentum and optimism — and a firm focus on learning from day one.
27M learners back to school
Meanwhile, in the national setting, around 27 million students went back to school on Monday, June 16, 2025. The Department of Education (DepEd) said this includes preschool to senior high school students in both public and private schools.
In some areas, especially in Metro Manila, overcrowding of students remains a concern due to classroom shortages.
DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara earlier said the country is lacking around 165,000 classrooms, which will require schools to implement class shifting or hybrid learning arrangements to accommodate the students.
He said it will take around 30 years to address the classroom shortage in the country, given the current budget for the education sector.
Other education officials, however, said it will take up to 55 years to completely eliminate the classroom construction backlogs.
Angara said the department is continuously looking for ways to address the classroom shortage, including through public-private partnerships.
Meanwhile, to ensure peace and order during the opening of classes, as well as the safety of students and teachers, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief General Nicolas Torre III conducted inspections in various schools across the metro to ensure the sufficient and efficient deployment of policemen.
He ordered police commanders to coordinate closely with school officials in their respective jurisdictions to determine their security requirements.
Torre said street crimes and bullying are among their main concerns amid the opening of classes.
“Dito sa mga eskuwelahan, unang-una, is sa labas muna, so street crimes. Andiyan ang mga manloloko na alam mo na lolokohin ang mga bata. Maya-maya yan, nanakawan ang mga bata dahil siyempre, murang edad pa ang mga yan. Musmos pa ang mga yan. Maya-maya yan, may mga magse-setup, makukuha nila yung bag, may lamang cellphone, so yan ang mga target niyan,” Torre said.
(Here in schools, the first concern is street crimes. There are scammers out there who will take advantage of the kids. In no time, the children get robbed because, of course, they’re still very young. They’re just kids. Soon enough, someone will set something up and take their bags, which may contain cellphones, those are the usual targets.)
“Pangalawa, sa loob naman ng eskuwelahan, we are coordinating with the schools na siguraduhin natin walang bullying, walang mga krimen na makakabiktima ng ating mga estudyante,” he added.
(Second, inside the school, we are coordinating with the schools to make sure there is no bullying and no crimes that could victimize our students.)
The PNP deployed a total of 37,740 police personnel across the country to ensure the safety and welfare of learners and teachers in 45,974 public and private schools amid the opening of classes.
SY 2025-2026 will run from June 16 to March 31, 2026, which consists of 197 class days inclusive of end-of-school-year rites. MLSA with Lian A. Layson, Ashley Kate L. Panaligan, and Glae Ann T. Richardson, Spamast interns; and Shema Kailah B. Sacman and Patricia Ann Reyes, AdDU Interns with reports from SNS