River crossings, crowded classrooms mark school opening

LEARNING JOURNEY Students from the island villages of Calmay and Carael in Dagupan City, Pangasinan, ride bancas and motorized boats across the Calmay River each day to reach their schools on the mainland, as seen in this photo taken on Monday when classes resumed nationwide. —WILLIE O. LOMIBAO

DAGUPAN CITY—Classes resumed smoothly across several regions on Monday for the opening of School Year 2026–2027, with millions of students returning to classrooms nationwide, although education officials continue to grapple with classroom shortages, damaged school facilities and teacher vacancies.

In Dagupan City, students and teachers from island barangays continue to depend on motorized boats and bancas to cross the Calmay River daily to reach schools and workplaces on the mainland, underscoring long-standing reliance on river transport despite the availability of longer land routes.

Residents from the island barangays of Calmay and Carael regularly take bancas or motorized boats across the river, with travel times ranging from 10 to 30 minutes depending on their location.

Students from other island communities, including Pugaro Suit, Lomboy and Salapingao, also make the daily crossing to attend classes on the mainland. While a land route is available, it takes about an hour of travel—making river travel the more practical and widely used option for students and teachers.

In the Bicol region, the Department of Education (DepEd) reported an orderly opening of classes despite continuing infrastructure concerns.

Shifting schedules

DepEd-Bicol Regional Director Gilbert Sadsad said some schools remain on shifting schedules or use temporary learning spaces due to a lack of classrooms.

“In some schools, classes are conducted in shifts, while others have established temporary learning spaces,” Sadsad said.

He added that repairs of damaged school buildings are ongoing, with the Department of Public Works and Highways handling rehabilitation efforts.

Several classrooms damaged by previous typhoons remain unusable pending funding, while those requiring minor repairs have already been restored.

In Eastern Visayas, nearly one million students returned to public schools as the region opened classes peacefully.

DepEd-8 reported an initial enrollment of more than 989,800 learners, with registration still ongoing. Regional Director Salustiano Jimenez said challenges are expected in the first weeks but assured that support systems are in place.

To address teacher shortages, DepEd-8 is set to hire 2,046 new public school teachers across various levels, including kindergarten, elementary, junior high school, senior high school and Alternative Learning System programs.

Security

The Police Regional Office-8 deployed 3,818 personnel across 4,178 schools under the Oplan Balik-Eskwela program, with 373 Police Assistance Desks established to ensure student safety.

In Central Visayas, the opening of classes at Dr. Cecilio Putong National High School in Tagbilaran City was marked by a festive welcome from the school’s drums and bugles corps.

School officials used the orientation to reinforce antibullying campaigns and encourage students to report harassment.

However, the school continues to face classroom shortages after a two-story building containing 10 classrooms was declared unsafe due to structural cracks.

Some laboratory rooms have been converted into temporary classrooms while repairs are pending. School principal Corazon Samuya reported 775 Grade 7 enrollees and a total junior high enrollment of 3,183 students as of Monday.

Teachers have also adopted lapel microphones to improve classroom instruction and reduce vocal strain, particularly in large classes.

Across Western Visayas and the Negros Island Region, police forces intensified security measures for the school opening. The Iloilo City Police Office deployed personnel to schools, transport terminals and major roads, while implementing traffic management and anticriminality operations.

At Iloilo National High School, thousands of students attended the first flag ceremony of the school year, marking the start of DepEd’s new three-term academic calendar, which replaces the traditional four-quarter grading system.

In the Negros Island Region, the Philippine National Police deployed 1,612 personnel to schools, transport hubs and pedestrian areas.

Authorities in Bacolod City also warned the public against false social media posts claiming class suspensions, stressing that in-person classes would proceed as scheduled. —REPORTS FROM WILLIE O. LOMIBAO, MICHAEL B. JAUCIAN, MADONNA T. VIROLA, JOEY A. GABIETA, LEO UDTOHAN, IAN PAUL CORDERO AND CARLA P. GOMEZ