THE new school year in the Davao Region opened smoothly, with impressive early-enrollment and festive school environments, according to Allan G. Farnazo, the Department of Education (DepEd) Davao regional director.
On Monday, July 29, 2024, the Department of Education (DepEd) celebrated the start of the academic year 2024-2025.
Farnazo expressed satisfaction with the first day of lessons after visiting seven schools in Davao del Sur and Digos City. He attributed the success to the schools' readiness and highlighted the effective implementation of Lesson 1 on Day 1.
Farnazo praised the schools for their preparation, noting that despite teachers having a one-month vacation in June, they successfully completed Brigada Eskwela this year.
He also reported a higher enrollment rate for the Davao region, reaching 90.1 percent or approximately 1.22 million students, surpassing last year's target as of 6:45 p.m. on Sunday, July 28, 2024.
Among the 11 divisions, Davao del Sur leads with a 94.83 percent enrollment rate, followed closely by Davao Occidental at 94.74 percent, and Mati City at 94.05 percent.
Davao City ranks third from the bottom, and Farnazo stressed the importance of monitoring its progress. He expressed excitement about its potential growth, noting, “Excited pod ko sa Davao City kay last year’s enrollment nila was already 472,000. Karon murag 28,000 nalang mag-half million na (I’m also excited about Davao City because last year’s enrollment was 472,000. Now it needs just 28,000 more to reach half a million).”
Farnazo confirmed that the region’s enrollment figures are "clean" and fully encoded in the Learning Information System (LIS).
He also commended the enthusiasm of schools that started the year with vibrant and festive atmospheres.
"I was very amazed by the Sta. Ana—it was like a Disney-themed party with all the balloons. Panabo was very festive, and even Tagum and Mati City," Farnazo said.
Senior high school teacher and school paper moderator Franklin Cuadrillero of Calinan National High School shared that the new shifting schedule for Grades 7-12 is being smoothly implemented.
“Hopefully, dali ra gyud maka adapt na gyud sa hinayhinay (Hopefully, everyone adapts quickly, even if gradually),” Cuadrillero told VoxPop Davao.
Jireh Steve Uy, a Grade 12 student Jireh Steve Uy from Jesus J. Soriano NHS was excited about the first day. “It’s fun to be back at school and to meet some of my friends from the previous year,” he said, looking forward to new lessons, events, and experiences.
However, a high school teacher, who requested anonymity, mentioned the demanding schedule. “Our schedule is very challenging, especially in Math. This year, we have two periods for Math. All subjects have 45 minutes each day,” she said.
Her co-teacher spends 75 minutes daily on Math for each section she handles: 45 minutes for regular Math classes and an additional 30 minutes for the National Mathematics Program (NMP).
Grade 3 teacher Reygin Bautista from Sta. Ana Central Elementary School reported a smooth first day despite a full classroom.
"I'm fully booked. Puno akong room pero okay lang man since orientation week pa naman. Nakahelp din na early ako naka gawa ng GC so dali lang information napasa sa parents (I’m fully booked, but it’s okay since it’s orientation week. Creating a group chat early helped share information with parents easily)," she said.
Overall, the creative efforts of the Brigada Eskwela and the readiness of schools reflect a positive start to the new academic year in the Davao Region. MLSA/KBP with report from RGV
