President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and the Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sonny Angara welcomed students at the Epifanio Delos Santos Elementary School (EDSES) in Malate, Manila, for the opening of classes for School Year 2025 to 2026.
On Monday, June 16, RH 14 Leth Narciso reported that Marcos will be visiting one of the oldest elementary schools in Manila for the ceremonial opening of classes.
DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara arrived at the school before the President’s visit to inspect the school premises.
WATCH: Dumating na si DepEd Sec. Sonny Angara sa Epifanio Delos Santos Elementary School sa Maynila | RH 14 @leth_narciso, DZRH News pic.twitter.com/GVQwTduMWp
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) June 16, 2025
The report stated that the elementary school has no issues with the student-teacher ratio, as there are enough classrooms and teachers to accommodate all students. Epifanio Delos Santos Elementary School currently has 121 teachers, 108 classrooms, and seven buildings.
Meanwhile, the student-teacher ratio for Kindergarten students is posted at 20:1, indicating there are 20 students for every one teacher.
Grades 1 to 3 have a 25:1 ratio, while Grades 4 to 6 have a 35:1 ratio.
This means that students at the elementary school only have one shift of classes per day, compared to other schools where they are divided into two shifts to accommodate all the students.
Around 3,000 students had already enrolled for this school year. However, the number of students is expected to exceed the current number as enrollment continues until June 20.
In preparation for the opening of classes today, the Manila local government distributed notebooks, pencils, and ballpens, various sets of paper, bags, and PE uniforms to students.
Marcos arrived at around 10 AM at the elementary school and inspected several classrooms, including the principal’s office, where CCTV footage around the premises can be observed.
During his visit, the President ordered the DepEd and other concerned agencies to prioritize electricity, water supply, and internet.
The DepEd, under the President’s directive, had also implemented various reforms to support both learners and educators.
“These include mandatory easier and cost-friendly enrollment process, health assessments for students, early delivery of laptops, smart TVs, and other digital tools to schools, increased medical and teaching allowances for teachers, the hiring of more teachers and administrative staff, and workload rationalization,” the DepEd’s press release wrote. “DepEd will also pilot a strengthened senior high school curriculum this school year to improve readiness for college and employment.”
Marcos toured EDSES, alongside Angara, DepEd officials, and the school’s personnel. They visited classrooms, engaged with Grade 1 learners, and briefed students on the school safety systems.
They also conducted a virtual interaction with selected schools from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
“Malaking pasasalamat natin kay Pangulong Marcos sa mga repormang agad niyang itinulak para sa edukasyon. Mas mararamdaman ito ng ating ng mga guro at mag-aaral ngayong balik-eskwela. Kasama na dyan ang ang dagdag-suporta, kagamitan, at mga polisiyang nagpapagaan sa araw-araw nilang karanasan sa paaralan,” Angara said.
Over 27 million learners are expected to return to classrooms this year, with 48,000 public and 12,000 private schools. According to the DepEd, the opening proceeded smoothly across regions, after weeks of preparation through the agency’s Brigada Eskwela and Oplan Balik Eskwela.
Last week, Marcos led the Brigada Eskwela for two schools in Bulacan, in preparation for the school year 2025 - 2026. During the said date, he announced that around 20,000 teaching and non-teaching personnel are set for the opening of classes to lessen the administrative load of teachers.
