Classes for SY 2025-2026 begin despite flood, fire damage in some schools

Classes opened nationwide on Monday for School Year 2025-2026 with over 27 million students expected to return to classrooms. Some schools however had to adjust after flooding and fire incidents.

For hundreds of students at a public high school in Quezon City, the first day of the school year meant attending class in makeshift spaces after a fire damaged one of their buildings on Sunday.

In a report by James Agustin on Unang Balita, San Francisco High School in Bago Bantay had to relocate 16 sections to the school’s covered court—eight Grade 10 classes in the morning and eight Grade 9 classes in the afternoon. The sessions were shortened as authorities worked on emergency arrangements following Sunday’s blaze.

The affected classes, totaling around 640 students, were met by their teachers for a brief “meet and greet” and orientation on health protocols, including the use of masks due to poor air quality in the affected area.

“Ngayon po ang ginagawa namin ay i-assure 'yung mga estudyante na tuloy-tuloy ang klase at ligtas sila,” said Principal Dr. Marissa Lou Rodriguez. 

(What we are doing now is assuring our students that classes will continue and they are safe.)

Students will resume regular class hours tomorrow as they will be relocated to the DepEd A Building, which is currently being used by the senior high school.

“Ang immediate concern namin ay mabigyan ng espasyo ang mga bata para hindi maantala ang pag-aaral,” said Quezon City Schools Division Superintendent Carleen Sedilla.

(Our immediate concern is to provide space for the children so their learning will not be hampered.)

At the break of dawn, a flag-raising ceremony and the recitation of the Panatang Makabayan marked the official start of the school year for San Francisco High—albeit under emergency arrangements.

Meanwhile, in Bea Pinlac's report at Malabon Elementary School, floodwaters greeted students and parents early in the morning following a downpour and high tide the night before. 

School staff had worked early to pump out water from the school grounds, though some areas outside the campus remained submerged. 

Principal Rosela Abude assured parents that students’ classrooms were not affected and that there were safe walkways to access learning spaces.

“Kahapon po nagkaroon ng malakas na ulan, high tide pa po. Pero hindi apektado ang classrooms at may mga daanan ang mga bata,” she said.

(Yesterday, there were heavy rains and it was high tide too. But the classrooms were not affected and the children have a walkway.)

The school, which held pre-opening activities last Friday, is expecting over 3,200 students this year and continues to accept late enrollees. 

Students will undergo reading and math assessments this week to determine who needs academic support under the school’s intervention program.

In Iloilo City, Kim Salinas of GMA Regional TV reported that cloudy skies and cool winds welcomed students at the Iloilo City National High School, where classes began as early as 6 a.m. 

The school employs a shifting schedule to accommodate its 6,300 enrollees—slightly down from last year’s 7,100, but still expected to rise in the coming days.

Morning classes run until 12:15 p.m., followed by an afternoon shift until 6:45 p.m. Handwashing stations are ready on campus as part of health safety measures amid concerns about monkey pox or mpox. Police have also been deployed in full force across Western Visayas to ensure safety and order on campus grounds.

In General Santos City, a one-stop enrollment area was set up at Lagao National High School for students who were unable to register before the opening of classes. As reported by Efren Mamac, a designated space in the school is still accepting late enrollees, with non-teaching personnel assisting transferees and new students to avoid disrupting the regular classes already underway.

“Mas mainam na non-teaching staff ang umaasikaso para hindi maantala ang pagtuturo ng teachers,” said Principal Francisco Espinosa. The school has so far enrolled around 3,000 students—lower than last year’s 4,000.

According to the Department of Education (DepEd) in General Santos, as of June 14, there are about 132,979 enrolled students across both public and private schools in the city—significantly lower than last year’s figure of 179,325. Still, DepEd Gensan reminded parents that enrollment remains open even after classes have begun.

Schools across the country reopened on Monday, June 16, marking the official start of School Year 2025–2026 with the DepEd expecting around 27 million enrollees from preschool to senior high school.

"All systems go po ang lahat sa pagbubukas ng ating klase," DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said in a Viber message. 

Teachers hold protest action

Meanwhile, the Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT) Philippines staged a sunrise protest at Mendiola on Monday to decry what it called the government’s worsening neglect of the country’s education system.

Setting up a makeshift classroom with monobloc chairs and cleaning materials, teachers and parents symbolically highlighted the burdens being shouldered by communities amid persistent shortages in classrooms, teachers, and basic learning facilities.

“Sasabak na naman tayo sa isang taong panuruan sa ilalim ng sistemang kulang na kulang ang pondo,” said ACT Chairperson Vladimer Quetua. 

"Taon-taon na lang, mga guro lagi ang taya para punan ang kakulangan sa eskwela—from cleaning and repairs to student needs. We bear the brunt of this systemic neglect.”

Quetua said the Marcos Jr. administration has failed to adequately address critical gaps in education, resulting in deteriorating quality and worsening school conditions.

ACT cited data pointing to a massive shortage of 165,000 classrooms nationwide. Given current budgetary allocations, the group warned that addressing this gap could take at least 55 years. 

The shortage has forced schools to adopt double and even triple shifts, conduct classes in makeshift rooms, or revert to blended learning—conditions that hinder effective teaching and learning.

The group also flagged a lack of teaching personnel. While DepEd figures peg the shortage at over 56,000, ACT estimates that 150,000 more teachers are needed to reduce class sizes to the global standard of 35 students.

Citing the 2024 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) from the Philippine Statistics Authority, ACT also noted that 18 million Filipinos who finished basic education remain functionally illiterate—underscoring the impact of long-standing systemic issues.

ACT reiterated its call for the national government to take urgent action: hire 30,000 teachers yearly and build 50,000 classrooms annually until 2028. The group said this would help eliminate chronic shortages and keep pace with growing enrolment.

“Two years ago, we made these demands. But they were dismissed as unrealistic while billions were channeled to confidential and intelligence funds,” Quetua lamented.

Another teachers' group also criticized what they described as the government’s lack of adequate preparation for the opening of classes.

The Teachers’ Dignity Coalition (TDC) and ACT Teachers Party-list raised concerns over three key issues: the persistent shortage of teachers, the heavy workload paired with low salaries and limited benefits, and the lack of classrooms and essential facilities.

“Hangga’t wala pong permanenteng solusyon sa mga problemang ito, patuloy na bababa ang kalidad ng edukasyon,” the groups warned.

(Until there is no permanent solution to these problems, the quality of education will continue to deteriorate.)

The DepEd is expected to respond to these issues in an interview later today.

Bisita Eskwela launched

Alongside Monday’s protest, ACT also launched Bisita Eskwela in Metro Manila to document school conditions and collect firsthand reports from teachers, administrators, and communities.

The group expressed alarm over reported efforts to restrict information sharing. 

According to ACT, some DepEd officials have allegedly instructed teachers not to speak with media and warned union members to exercise extreme caution when discussing school opening issues.

“This is a blatant attempt to manufacture the illusion of readiness,” Quetua said. 

“Suppressing free expression undermines public accountability and the rights of educators.”

ACT concluded by urging the Marcos administration to double the national education budget and commit to long-term solutions. 

"We cannot fix deep-rooted problems if we continue to deny they exist. The future of our learners and the dignity of teachers are on the line,” Quetua said. —KG, GMA Integrated News