July 29, 2024 - Education Secretary Sonny Angara witnessed a seamless commencement of the School Year 2024-2025 during his visit to Carmona National High School and Elementary School, despite the inclement weather.
Secretary Angara expressed his gratitude in an interview, saying, "We would like to extend our thanks to our teachers, students, and the community, including principals and superintendents, who have worked together to prepare our schools and ensure students could attend today."
He added, "This collective effort is a testament to our bayanihan spirit, which truly made a difference in starting the school year smoothly."
As of noon today, the Department of Education (DepEd) has reported a total enrollment of 20,598,072 learners for the new school year. This includes 11,301,108 students at the Elementary Level, 6,204,006 in Junior High School, 2,870,891 in Senior High School, and 222,067 in the Alternative Learning System.
CALABARZON leads with the highest enrollment at 3,070,457, followed by Central Luzon with 2,216,637 and the National Capital Region (NCR) with 2,207,473 learners. Nationwide, 861,234 public school teachers and 45,565 school heads have welcomed the millions of students, according to DepEd data.
In addition to his visits to Carmona National High School and Carmona Elementary School, Secretary Angara also toured Muntinlupa National High School and Casimiro A. Ynares Sr. Memorial National High School in Rodriguez, Rizal.
Angara reaffirmed the support of President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr., announcing that the Php 5,000 teaching allowance will be distributed to eligible public school teachers during the opening week.
"I want to reiterate the support of President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. for our education system," Angara emphasized. "I also call on all communities across the Philippines to support our students and schools."