NCR DepEd director Teresita Guzman-Domalanta said a regional statistical report said the graduating secondary school students are broken down to 68,308 females and 58,984 males or a grand total of 127,290, representing some 10 percent more than last school year’s high school finishers in the region.

Domalanta said the schools division of Quezon City registered the biggest number of graduating high school youngsters with 29,778 followed by Manila and Caloocan City with 19,889 and 16,034, respectively.

According to Domalanta, the other Metro Manila schools divisions and their respective number of graduating high school children are:

Pasig City-San Juan, 8,925; Taguig City-Pateros, 6,704; Malabon City-Navotas, 6,449; Makati City, 6,093; Valenzuela City, 6,078; Las Piñas City, 5,380; Parañaque City, 5,346; Marikina City, 4,749; Pasay City, 4,590; Muntinlupa City, 4,492, and Mandaluyong City, 2,809.

Domalanta said the statistical data also revealed that 192,554 Metro Manila students will finish first year at the close of the current school year; 134,827, second year, and 145,462, third year.

The same data, Domalanta said, disclosed that 810 students – 506 males and 304 females – are expected to complete the DepEd’s "bridge program" this school year.

The program involves last school year’s public elementary school Grade 6 graduates who opted to attend a 10-month remedial course in English, Science and Mathematics before proceeding to first year high school when school year 2006-2007 starts in June.