The number of enrolled learners for the school year (SY) 2022-2023 has breached 13 million, said the Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday, August 2.

“Tuluy-tuloy pa rin po ang ating enrollment although the turnout is significantly higher than that of the previous years. As of today, we have 13.152 million enrollees. As of the turnout, noong first day pa lang po ay napansin na natin na this was significantly higher because first day pa lang ay nakapagtala po tayo ng 3.3 million, as compared to last year’s first day of enrollment na nasa 222,000 lang po (Our enrollment is still ongoing and the turnout is significantly higher than that of the previous years. As of today, we have 13.152 million enrollees. As for the turnout, on the first day alone we noticed that this was significantly higher because on the first day alone we recorded 3.3 million, as compared to last year’s first day of enrollment which was only 222,000),” said DepEd Spokesperson Michael Poa in a press briefing.

“It does appear from the trend that our learners are excited to go back to in-person classes,” Poa furthered, adding that factors such as access to remote learning tools like gadgets and internet connection may have affected the tally of enrollees in the previous years.

Enrollment for SY 2022-2023 began on July 25 and it will end on Aug. 22. DepEd, after years of implementing remote and dropbox enrollment, reintroduced in-person enrollment in line with the resumption of five-day in-person classes beginning November 2022.

Classes for the forthcoming academic year will officially begin on Aug. 22, 2022.