Students flock to schools for S.Y. 2024-2025 opening

FILIPINO students geared up with their school uniforms as classes for the academic year 2024-2025 begin on Monday.

As of 7:30 a.m. on July 29, the Department of Education (DepEd) reported a total of 19,870,531 students in basic education who enrolled for the new school year.

The highest number of enrollees was recorded in Region IV-A with 2,811,458, followed by Region III with 2,216,637 and the National Capital Region (NCR) with 2,185,237.

Several schools in the country pushed through with the original date for the opening of the classes, including Pampanga High School, Kidapawan City National High School, Navotas National High School, Tagaytay City Integrated School, Kapatagan National High School in Lanao Del Norte, Bulusan High School in Sorsogon, and Duran Elementary School in Balatan, Camarines Sur.

Students and teachers could be seen participating in flag raising ceremonies, held every Monday morning, to mark the opening of the classes.

Meanwhile, other schools opted to halt classes on Monday due to the combined effects of Typhoon Carina and the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat). Some are still being used as temporary shelters for the affected individuals.

A total of 842 schools postponed the opening of classes on Monday, as of 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to the DepEd’s advisory.

Of these schools, the majority or 452 were in Region III, followed by the NCR with 225, Region I with 95, Region IV-A with 66, and Region XII with four.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. previously said that the opening of classes should continue on Monday, but administrators of schools affected by the devastating flooding caused by the typhoon might decide whether or not they would postpone their classes to recover.

With the July 29 class opening, the Philippines gradually shifted to the old June-March school calendar, which will take place in the academic year 2025-2026. 

Weather update

Meanwhile, several students were greeted with rain as they returned to their schools to kick off the school year 2024-2025.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) reported that several parts of Luzon will experience rains due to the Habagat.

The Southwest Monsoon might bring scattered rains and thunderstorms over the Ilocos Region, Benguet, Abra, Zambales, and Bataan.

On the other hand, the NCR, Calabaron, Mimaropa, the rest of Cordillera Administrative Region, and the rest of Central Luzon might experience isolated rain showers or thunderstorms.

The state weather bureau said that it is monitoring a low pressure area (LPA) located northeast of Aparri, Cagayan.

“Base sa pinaka huling datos natin, medyo nahihirapan maging isang bagyo itong low pressure area na ito dahil nasa isang environment siya na hindi conducive para ma-develop into a tropical depression,” said PAGASA weather specialist Obet Badrina in a 4 a.m. weather forecast.

He continued, “Pero patuloy pa rin nating imo-monitor itong low pressure area na ito sa mga susunod na oras.”