Iloilo city: The Department of Education in Western Visayas (DepEd 6) is calling on parents to pre-register their incoming Kindergarten and Grades 1, 7, and 11 children for the school year 2026-2027. The initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance educational planning and resource allocation for the upcoming academic year.

According to Philippines News Agency, the early registration process is designed to ensure that all new learners are accounted for, which will aid in better planning for resources and logistics. This proactive measure allows schools to estimate enrollment numbers accurately, identify out-of-school children, and prepare for any potential shortages in classrooms, teachers, or learning materials. Hernani Escullar Jr., the regional information officer for DepEd 6, emphasized the importance of this initiative during an interview.

Escullar expressed hope that the number of pre-registered learners will exceed the 163,316 recorded during the last school year. As of 8 a.m. on Monday, 53,250 learners have already been pre-registered across the nine school divisions in Panay and Guimaras, showing promising engagement from the community.

The pre-registration process itself is straightforward. Parents are required to visit the public school where they intend to enroll their children, contact the pre-enrollment staff, complete the basic education pre-registration form, and submit it along with documents like a birth certificate to verify the learner's credentials. In cases where a birth certificate is unavailable, a certification from the barangay containing the necessary basic information will suffice. Escullar also highlighted that the pre-registration process is free, in line with the prevailing no collection policy.

The early registration period is set to conclude on February 27, allowing ample time for parents to complete the necessary steps.