ILOILO City — As enrollment for School Year 2026-2027 opened Monday, the Department of Education (DepEd) in Western Visayas reiterated its prohibition on collecting fees from students enrolling in public schools, warning that violations could lead to administrative sanctions.
The reminder came as public schools across the region began accepting enrollees for classes set to open on June 8, with DepEd encouraging parents to take advantage of free public education and complete registration within the June 1 to 5 enrollment period.
“Libre ang pagpa-enroll sa mga public school and we call on the public to have their child enrolled sa mga public schools starting today June 1 until june 5,” said Hernani Escullar Jr., information officer of DepEd Regional Office 6, in an interview with Panay News.
Escullar cited DepEd Order No. 19, Series of 2008, which implements the no-collection policy in all public elementary and secondary schools.
The policy is anchored on the constitutional mandate providing free public education and aims to remove financial barriers that discourage school-age children from enrolling.
Under the order, no fees may be collected from preschool to Grade 4 learners at any time during the school year, including voluntary contributions for organizations and school-related funds such as the Boy Scouts of the Philippines (BSP), Girl Scouts of the Philippines (GSP), Red Cross, Anti-TB Fund, and Parent-Teacher-Community Associations (PTCA).
For learners beyond Grade 4, schools are prohibited from collecting any form of contribution during enrollment and throughout the first month of classes. Voluntary contributions may only be accepted beginning the second month of the school year.
DepEd regional and division offices have been directed to closely monitor schools during the enrollment period and the first month of classes to ensure compliance with the policy.
Parents are only required to visit their preferred school, bring the necessary documents, and accomplish the Basic Education Enrollment Form available through enrollment coordinators.
For kindergarten enrollees, an original or certified true copy of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) birth certificate is required.
Other grade levels must submit report cards, certificates of completion, or alternative learning credentials, depending on the grade level.
Escullar said children without PSA birth certificates may still enroll provided parents submit another document establishing the child’s identity and furnish the birth certificate within the school year.
He also assured parents that students who fail to enroll during the official enrollment week will still be accommodated.
“Pwede pa ma-cater ang enrollees but we recommend to do it this week kay next week opening block na sa term one,” Escullar said.
Under DepEd Order No. 9, Series of 2026, late enrollees may still be admitted as long as they can meet at least 80 percent of the prescribed class days or enroll before the conduct of the second summative test in Term 1.
Learners transferring from other schools during the school year may also be admitted upon submission and transfer of official academic records, including Beginning of School Year assessment results.
The School Year 2026-2027 will officially run from June 8, 2026, to April 8, 2027 under the newly adopted three-term school calendar, covering a total of 201 class days.
DepEd data showed that around 1.079 million learners enrolled in Western Visayas during School Year 2025-2026, including 970,902 students in public schools. Enrollment figures declined from previous years following the separation of the Negros Island Region from Region 6. Before the split, the region recorded nearly 1.9 million learners./PN
