MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — The Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO) will be tapping Parent-Teachers Associations (PTAs) in schools to promote their anti-crime campaigns.
Police Major Mercy Villaro, information officer of MCPO, said they had started attending the PTA general assemblies in the different public schools around the city to relay to the parents the measures to keep their children away from activities like illegal drugs and joining gangs.
“Nagsugod na pod ang mga schools to conduct general assemblies (schools have started to hold general assemblies for the PTA), and we in the PNP are invited, and, sometimes, we also voluntarily visit the schools to give short talks to the parents,” Villaro said.
Among the topics that police representatives discuss with the parents in PTA assemblies are tips in determining if their children have engaged in illegal activities.
“Ipaabot nato nga imonitor ang ilang mga kabataan. Manghatag pod mi og hotlines ug detection tips para pagtan-aw sa ilang mga anak if they are into drugs or gangs. Dako na nga problem diri sa Mandaue ang gangs kay kanang mga gangs moresult og lain nga crimes like rape ug kagubot,” said Villaro.
(We will tell them to monitor their children. We will also give them the hotlines and detection tips on how to know if their child is into drugs or gangs. The gangs are a big problem here in Mandaue because gangs would result in different crimes like rape or trouble.)
“This is one way to relay our advocacy to keep our children away from illegal activities and abuses and to prevent them (those who engage in illegal activities) from abusing their fellow students,” she added.
After attending PTA assemblies and reaching out to the parents, Villaro said they also planned to conduct a room-to-room information drive to emphasize their anti-crime and anti-abuse cause to the the students./dbs