Cordillera enrollment drops 7.5% over three years

WANGAL, La Trinidad, Benguet — The Department of Education (DepEd) Cordillera reported a continuous decline in student enrollment across the region for School Year (SY) 2024–2025.

In her State of the Region’s Address (SORA) delivered on 5 December 2025 at the DepEd Cordillera Regional Office in Wangal, La Trinidad, Regional Director Estela P. Leon-Cariño noted that enrollment peaked during SY 2021–2022 at 447,986 learners. Since then, the region has lost 33,809 students, marking a 7.5 percent decline over three years.

She said the downward trend — with the sharpest single-year drop occurring between 2023–2024 and 2024–2025 — may be attributed to factors such as migration, demographic shifts, and access barriers in remote communities.

For the ongoing SY 2025–2026, the Cordillera has recorded a total enrollment of 401,178 learners. A notable demographic highlight shows Indigenous Peoples (IP) learners comprising 62.91 percent of the student population, reflecting the region’s strong commitment to inclusion. Key Stage 2 posted the biggest share of overall enrollment, while Grade 7 recorded the highest number of learners at 35,360.

The report also highlighted the support provided by targeted interventions, with 11.12 percent of learners benefiting from the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP), particularly those in elementary level and those identified as nutritionally at-risk.

Despite the enrollment decline, Cariño emphasized improving retention rates. The overall dropout rate has decreased from 1.04 percent to 0.82 percent in the last three years. However, Key Stage 3 (Junior High School) remains the most critical, accounting for 2,491 dropouts and maintaining a significantly high 2.02 percent rate. Apayao and Ifugao posted the highest dropout numbers in this category, underscoring the need for targeted interventions.

On learning outcomes, the Comprehensive Rapid Literacy Assessment (CRLA) showed that only 25.9 percent of Grade 3 English learners are reading at grade level.

Data on post-secondary plans indicate that 94 percent of Senior High School graduates in CAR prefer to pursue higher education, while only 6 percent intend to enter the workforce (3 percent), continue advanced TVL programs (2 percent), or start a business (1 percent). This demonstrates the region’s strong academic orientation and the limited number of high school graduates entering immediate economic participation.

Cariño also detailed the severe impact of calamities on school infrastructure and personnel. Following storms such as Super Typhoon Uwan, 778 learners and 470 teachers and non-teaching personnel were affected by injuries, displacement, and economic loss. In one case, an entire school was forced to conduct classes inside a church after its building was washed out. The school head has recommended relocation, deeming the site unsafe.

“These infrastructure challenges underscore the ongoing importance of the School Building Program, which continues to prioritize new construction, repairs, Last Mile Schools projects, and the establishment of health facilities,” the regional director stressed.

She also highlighted positive developments in the teaching workforce, noting that 92 percent of Cordillera teachers have pursued graduate-level studies. DepEd divisions in the region are categorized as Medium-Sized, with Benguet having the largest number of schools and learners (483 schools, 95,488 learners). Conversely, Baguio City, despite having only 7.45 percent of the region’s schools, continues to record the highest number of dropouts.