ILOILO City – The Department of Education (DepEd) Region 6 declared a smooth and peaceful opening of classes in 2,836 public schools across Western Visayas on Monday, June 16, with no major incidents reported.
According to DepEd-6 information officer Hernani Escullar Jr., the resumption of classes in public kindergarten, elementary, and secondary schools on Panay Island and Guimaras went without disruption.
“The opening of School Year 2025-2026 was a success. We have not monitored any major incidents in all our public schools,” Escullar told Panay News.
While public schools have already resumed, 596 private schools in the region will follow a separate academic calendar.
DepEd-6 attributed the orderly reopening to preemptive measures set out in a regional memorandum issued by Officer-in-Charge Dr. Cristito Eco.
The memorandum instructed Schools Division Superintendents and school heads to implement safeguards ensuring the physical and emotional well-being of learners, including protection against abuse, bullying, and illness, and the promotion of nutritious food in compliance with national policies.
Schools were also advised to coordinate with local law enforcement to ensure peace and order in school premises.
As of 10:30 a.m. on the first day of classes, 742,498 learners had enrolled across the region.
The Schools Division Office (SDO) of Iloilo recorded the highest number of enrollees with 257,446, followed by Aklan (112,636), Capiz (108,579), Antique (101,718), Iloilo City (78,446), Guimaras (39,973), Roxas City (27,793), and Passi City (18,911).
Enrollment is expected to rise in the coming days as schools continue to accept late enrollees and update their records.
Escullar said the region is targeting an enrollment figure close to 1.1 million learners, similar to last year’s projection.
However, this year’s figures reflect the exclusion of Negros Occidental from Region 6’s coverage. Last school year, Western Visayas encompassed 21 SDOs including 13 from Negros Occidental. For School Year 2025-2026, DepEd-6 now oversees only the eight SDOs of Panay and Guimaras islands.
“What matters most is that we ensure all children who want to enroll are given the opportunity to do so,” Escullar said./PN
