The Department of Education (DepEd) is sending teachers on house-to-house visits to encourage parents to enroll their children ahead of the opening of classes on June 8, as nationwide enrollment figures dipped slightly from previous years.
DepEd Assistant Secretary Joyce Andaya, who also serves as Regional Director for the National Capital Region, made the statement in an interview on DZRH News program “Special on Saturday” on June 6, saying the department is looking at between 26 million and 27 million learners for school year 2026-2027, down from around 28 million in previous years.
“Hinihikayat natin ang mga magulang na mag-enroll. Siguro mga between 26 million to 27 million ang tinitingnan natin na mga estudyante ngayon,” Andaya said.
She said the dip is not an overnight development, with enrollment figures declining over the last two years, and attributed the trend partly to population growth patterns over the past decade.
Andaya said some families are still finishing their provincial vacations, while others are known to delay enrollment by as much as a month after classes open—a pattern DepEd is actively working to address through the door-to-door campaign.
“Nagbahay-bahay na tayo upang mahikayat ang ating mga magulang na papuntahin na sa klase ang mga bata. Kasi marami silang mami-miss na mga lessons kung hindi sila papasok,” Andaya said.
In Metro Manila alone, DepEd is expecting around 2.7 million learners, Andaya said, with the NCR also among the areas where late enrollment is being closely monitored.
Andaya said she personally visited schools in Manila and Mandaluyong on Friday and observed teachers making preparations with enthusiasm, with many bringing their own families to help—a tradition being called Brigada Pamilya.
