Angara streamlines enrollment process

MANILA, Philippines — Parents will only need to submit their child’s birth certificate in school once, as the government aims to streamline enrollment, Education Secretary Sonny Angara stressed yesterday.

“We’ve heard from parents that enrollment problems often come from documentary requirements – especially when records are lost, delayed or need to be reprocessed,” Angara said.

Under the revised guidelines, parents or guardians must submit the original or certified true copy of the learner’s Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA)/ National Statistics Office (NSO)-issued birth certificate. If the birth certificate is unavailable during enrollment, they may submit secondary documents until Oct. 31, but must provide the birth certificate as soon as it becomes available.

“This change saves families time and money. More importantly, it helps ensure that no child misses the first day of school just because of paperwork,” Angara said.

At the same time, Angara said no voluntary fees shall be collected during the early registration and enrollment period, in response to President Marcos’ directive for faster, seamless and more inclusive school registration.

He said the Department of Education (DepEd) will also accept secondary documents, including National ID or any primary government ID, certificate of live birth, marriage certificate, PhilHealth ID, PWD ID, barangay certification, affidavit of undertaking signed by parents, NSO/PSA issued Certificate of Foundling and baptismal certificate.

The DepEd said late enrollees may still be accepted if they meet at least 80 percent of the number of school days and pass the quarterly requirements. If not, the school head may decide whether to accept the student and offer catch-up interventions.

DepEd also reiterated that learner’s records must be transferred directly between schools.

With these simpler rules, DepEd expects more students to enroll this year across all grade levels in public schools during the nationwide registration period last June 9 to 13. Classes for SY 2025-2026 begin tomorrow, June 16.

For a smooth start to the school year, DepEd encourages parents to take advantage of the easier enrollment requirements and register their children for a smooth start to the school year.

School Year 2025-2026 will open tomorrow and end on March 31, 2026.

27.6 million students

Tomorrow, teachers nationwide are set to welcome 27.6 million students, 300,000 more than the number of enrollees last year, DepEd said.

According to Teachers Dignity Coalition (TDC) chair Benjo Basas, the one-week Brigada Eskwela ended on Friday but cleaning of schools may extend even to tomorrow’s opening of classes.

“We are ready, not that we have no choice but to prepare, but we really conducted the necessary preparations as the children are all excited during the first day (of school), as well as our teachers,” Basas said.

“It is a tradition that our teachers are waiting (for the arrival of the students during the first day of school). The Brigada Eskwela ended after weeklong assistance from volunteers, communities, parents and of course our teachers, but we expect it to extend until Monday. Our efforts to help in the success of the opening of classes will continue,” Basas said in a radio interview.

Basas added that the teachers backed the return of the original school opening to June.

“We appreciated the move of the government… we used School Year 2024-2025 as a transition, that’s why it is the shortest in the history of DepEd. If we did not do it, even when we reach 2028, we cannot go back to the old school calendar,” Basas noted.

He noted that based on recent experience, many suspensions of classes were implemented because of the high heat index experienced in March.

“We don’t know when a typhoon, earthquake or flooding would hit us but nevertheless, we are sure that March, April and May, especially April and May (are) where we experience high heat index,” he noted.

Meanwhile, Basas admitted that the teachers are still not well-equipped to handle bullying in schools.

“Unfortunately, personally, we are not yet (prepared) but it is not really the function of the teachers, but they are doing everything so that the students (suffering from bullying) can report to them. We urged the DepEd to conduct training so that we do not put both our students and teachers at risk,” he said.

Following global reports labeling the Philippines as the “bullying capital of the world,” the DepEd vowed to intensify its efforts to combat bullying in educational institutions for school year 2025-2026.

DepEd Assistant Secretary for Operations Jocelyn Andaya said the department has issued new guidelines to schools as part of its renewed focus on addressing bullying.

Andaya, who also serves as DepEd regional director for the National Capital Region, ordered the implementation of metal detectors, bag checks and inspections in schools to ensure student safety.

Security in public schools will also be increased by hiring more guards, while local government units will be tapped for additional support.

DepEd is also ramping up efforts to address the shortage of guidance counselors.

Andaya explained that while the DepEd desires to hire more counselors, a lack of applicants has led to the appointment of “guidance designates,” or teachers trained to perform counseling duties.

The shortage, she added, extends to school principals, with ongoing hiring efforts and some teachers temporarily overseeing administrative functions in their absence.

Smoke-free

Ahead of the school opening, public health advocates urged DepEd to ensure strict enforcement of the smoking and vaping ban in and near school premises.

HealthJustice Philippines said the department should enforce strict safeguards to protect minors against tobacco and vape use and advertising near school zones.

“We cannot let our children be exposed to tobacco and vape products that increase their risk of nicotine dependence and its associated noncommunicable diseases,” said Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, board member of HealthJustice Philippines and former health secretary.

Together with the Philippine Pediatric Society and Child Rights Network, the group raised concerns about the rising prevalence of cigarette and vape use among the youth.

About 4.8 percent of Filipinos aged 10 to 19 are cigarette smokers, according to the 2023 Food and Nutrition Research Institute National Nutrition Survey, while one in every seven Filipino students aged 13 to 15 years old is already using e-cigarette or vape, based on the 2019 Global Youth Tobacco Survey.

“Children spend most of their time in school, where peer influence and social environments strongly shape their habits. Firm government and school policies against tobacco and vape help reinforce the message to the younger population that the use of these products are harmful and should not be normalized,” said Dr. Riz Gonzalez, chairperson of the Tobacco Control Advocacy Group of the Philippine Pediatric Society.

Gonzalez called on parents and guardians to remain vigilant on tobacco and vape use among their children, since it can often be overlooked. — Rhodina Villanueva