BAGUIO CITY — Public schools across the Cordillera region are facing a shortage of around 2,030 classrooms for the 2026–2027 school year, according to data released by the Department of Education (DepEd)-Cordillera.
The classroom shortage comes as student enrollment in the region has already reached 348,070 learners as of 11 June.
Enrollment figures show 22,373 learners in kindergarten, 172,123 in elementary, 108,252 in junior high school, and 45,322 in senior high school, placing additional pressure on already limited school infrastructure across the region.
Among all provinces, Benguet recorded the largest classroom shortage with 540 lacking classrooms while also posting the highest enrollment at 84,579 students.
Abra followed with a deficit of 295 classrooms and 52,761 enrollees, while Mountain Province and Ifugao each reported shortages of 288 classrooms, serving 33,136 and 43,579 students, respectively.
Kalinga posted a shortage of 264 classrooms with 22,835 enrolled learners, while Tabuk City lacks 197 classrooms and currently has 25,694 students.
Meanwhile, Baguio City reported a shortage of 114 classrooms despite having 60,333 enrollees, while Apayao recorded the smallest deficit at 112 classrooms, serving 25,894 learners.
The regional shortage reflects a wider national problem.
Earlier, the Department of Education reported a nationwide classroom shortage of more than 165,000 classrooms, highlighting one of the biggest challenges facing the country’s education sector.
