The Department of Education reported that around 26 million enrollees for School Year 2026-2027 is expected and more students to enroll once classes open on June 8.

DepEd Assistant Secretary Jocelyn Andaya said we have close to 26 million learners who have already enrolled and expecting to increase by 26.4 million enrollees for School Year 2026-2027.

Andaya explained that some students, especially senior high school students, could not enroll before classes began due to work, while others came from provinces.

DepEd has launched a nationwide school readiness tracking system to identify infrastructure, sanitation, technology, and learning material gaps in public schools under the “Project HANDA” platform.

It will monitor key indicators related to physical facilities, learner support, and instructional readiness to help education officials determine where resources and interventions are most needed.

Angara said the initiative is intended to improve data collection and guide decision-making as schools prepare to welcome students for the new academic year.

The agency also released new guidelines to help school heads determine class suspensions and select the appropriate learning modes before, during, and after emergencies.

Under DepEd Order No. 14 series of 2026, school heads are authorized to coordinate with the Schools Division Superintendent and local government units to implement granular suspension of classes based on the actual situation of the community.