School opening peaceful in Metro Cebu, C. Visayas

Cebu City Central school pupils lay their hands on their left breasts as they attend the flag-raising ceremony. CDN Photo/Junjie Mendoza

THE first day of classes in Metro Cebu and Central Visayas was peaceful despite some minor security concerns, the Police Regional Office (PRO-7) said yesterday.

Chief Supt. Noli Taliño, PRO-7 chief, said there were no reports of any untoward incidents, while the Cebu provincial police provided rides to schoolchildren headed to their respective schools.

“Our police especially in Danao City allowed students who are walking to ride along with them,” said Senior Supt. Eric Noble, Cebu provincial police chief.

Senior Supt. Joel Doria, Cebu City Police Office (CCPO) director, said they will extend their assistance desks in every school for the rest of the week.

He said there were a few parents who defied school policy prohibiting them and guardians from entering the classrooms.

“It’s a problem since it will create a security concern. Because once you allow parents to go inside the schools, we are not sure that those people have students inside the school. Maybe they will have other intentions,” Doria said.

Dr. Bianito Dagatan, superintendent of the Department of Education’s (DepEd) Cebu City Division, said there were no major problems during yesterday’s school opening.

“I visited nine schools this morning. All is well except there are still few late enrollees and transferees,” Dagatan told Cebu Daily News.

The DepEd’s Cebu City Division expected 170,000 students during the opening day.

“Maybe after this week we could get the final figure,” Dagatan said.

The regional Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board (LTFRB-7) said most school buses and vehicles didn’t have seat belts, grills and medical kits.

Regional LTFRB director Ahmed Cuizon said schools such as the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R), University of Cebu (UC) and Cebu Institute of Technology (CIT-U) will be allowed to correct their deficiencies for next week’s inspection.

School opening in the cities of Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu was also peaceful, with DepEd officials expecting enrollment to top last year’s figure of 60,000 for the elementary and high schools in Mandaue City.

Mandaue City DepEd officer Edgar Espina said they will finish the additional classrooms in August this year.

Tanods were also assigned in every school campus to provide security for the schoolchildren.

Dr. Marilyn Andales, DepEd Lapu-Lapu City schools division superintendent, said tanods were also assigned to help secure Lapu-Lapu City

schools.