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DAGUPAN CITY, PANGASINAN, Philippines — Classes resumed smoothly across several regions on Monday for the opening of School Year 2026–2027, with millions of students returning to classrooms nationwide, although education officials continue to grapple with classroom shortages, damaged school facilities and teacher vacancies.
In Dagupan City, students and teachers from island barangays continue to depend on motorized boats and bancas to cross the Calmay River daily to reach schools and workplaces on the mainland, underscoring long-standing reliance on river transport despite the availability of longer land routes.
Residents from the island barangays of Calmay and Carael regularly take bancas or motorized boats across the river, with travel times ranging from 10 to 30 minutes depending on their location.
Students from other island communities, including Pugaro Suit, Lomboy and Salapingao, also make the daily crossing to attend classes on the mainland. While a land route is available, it takes about an hour of travel—making river travel the more practical and widely used option for students and teachers.
