The Department of Education (DepEd) Central Luzon is set to accommodate nearly 2.85 million students as classes officially open on Monday, June 8. Preparations are in full swing across the region’s schools under the Oplan Balik Eskwela 2026 program.
Enrollment Figures
DepEd Region 3 Assistant Director Jessie L. Amin announced that approximately 2.9 million learners are expected to return to school in 5,193 basic education institutions, including public and private schools, state universities and colleges, and Community Learning Centers. Based on DepEd Region III data, the projected enrollment for School Year 2026–2027 stands at 2,851,699 learners. This figure is slightly higher than the 2,846,970 students recorded in the previous school year, reflecting an increase of 4,729 learners or 0.17 percent.
Of the projected enrollment, 1.36 million learners are expected in Grades 1 to 6, 863,088 in Junior High School, 408,882 in Senior High School, and 222,453 in Kindergarten.
Preparatory Activities
To ensure a smooth opening of classes, DepEd Region III implemented several preparatory activities, including early registration from January 31 to February 27, 2026, enrollment activities from June 1 to 5, teacher training programs, the Academic Recovery for Accessible Learning (ARAL) Summer Program, Brigada Eskwela, and Oplan Balik Eskwela. The region also trained more than 32,000 teachers and school leaders in preparation for the phased implementation of the MATATAG Curriculum for Grades 6, 9, and 10.
Resource Challenges
DepEd Region III currently serves a school-age population of 3.34 million children aged 5 to 18 years through 3,743 public schools, 1,434 private schools, 16 state and local universities and colleges, and 1,453 Community Learning Centers, supported by 90,065 public school teachers. Despite the anticipated enrollment growth, the department acknowledged continuing resource challenges across the region. Data presented during the Oplan Balik Eskwela Inter-Agency Convergence and Media Conference showed shortages of 11,493 teachers, 9,902 classrooms, 553,285 seats, and more than 12.26 million textbooks.
