Students from the Bantayan Central Elementary School in Bantayan Island, Cebu are fetched by their parents during their dismissal on the first day of classes on Tuesday, August 29,2023. | Chadenicess Buki via Niña Mae Oliverio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Police Regional Office in Central Visayas (PRO-7) assessed that the first day of classes in Central Visayas for the school year 2023-2024 was ‘generally peaceful and secure.’
This was according to Police Lieutenant Colonel Gerard Ace Pelare, the spokesperson of PRO-7 Director Police Brigadier General Anthony Aberin, who told reporters that there were no problems during the beginning of classes on Tuesday, August 29,2023.
READ: CCPO to secure public schools during opening of classes on Aug. 29
Peaceful and secure
“Atong iinform ang public that generally, peaceful and secure ang atong situation in Central Visayas,” he said.
(We are informing the public that our situation in Central Visayas is generally, peaceful and secure.)
Although, Pelare said that the most notable problem during the first day was the congestion of traffic in some areas due to the large number of vehicles on the road rushing to school and work.
To ensure the safety of students as they return to their campuses for another school year, the PRO-7 has coordinated with administrators of different schools to implement the necessary safety precautions.
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Deployed cops on first day of classes
According to Pelare, they have placed around 600 police assistance desks in different schools in the region and deployed around 2,200 police personnel for the first day of classes.
Pelare said that the PRO-7’s main goal is to provide continuous security support for the protection of students from any violent and criminal incidents.
“We are going to be consistent in our deployment sa atoang mga eskwelahan. In fact, the instruction of our regional director is for the ground commanders, mga chief of police, to personally visit the schools and to attend the PTA meeting,” he stated.
PTA meetings
He said that their attendance to PTA meetings in schools was necessary for them to relay to the parents the security measures that had been put in place by the police and to convince them to take precautions inside and outside of the school campus.
Pelare added that aside from the police assistance desks, they had also deployed police personnel to help in managing the traffic flow in areas near school campuses.
“As you can observe, labi na diri sa Cebu City, Mandaue, and Lapu-Lapu, naa gyud gamay nga traffic congestion because in and out ang mga bata-bata nato nga estudyante,” he said.
(As you can observe, especially here in Cebu City, Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu, there are a few traffic congestions because the younger students go in and out of the schools.)
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Cops’ assurance
Meanwhile, for students with night classes, Pelare assured that the police would continue to monitor and ensure their safety.
He said that for night classes, they had established a separate shift for police monitoring.
“Naka-establish na na. Usa na sa mga instruction gyud sa atong regional director, to make sure nga ang pagbantay nato sa eskwelahan is buntag ug gabii,” he said.
(We have already established that. That is one of the instructions of our regional director, to make sure that the schools are secured in the morning and evening.)
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One reason to attend PTA meetings
Pelare added that another purpose as to why the station commanders are instructed to join PTA meetings is to remind parents and teachers to teach their children and students to behave well and avoid engaging in violent activities.
“Ang atong mga community relations officer, mo-sit in sad na sa mga klase para mopahinumdom. Kaning mga flag ceremonies nato, ato silang gi-require para mohatag ug gamayng mensahe mahitungod aning mga butanga,” he said.
(Our community relations officer, he will sit-in in the classes to remind the students. During our flag ceremonies, we require them to give a message regarding that.)
According to Pelare, the deployed police officers are there to help students in case of emergencies and concerns.
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Parents, teachers cooperation
He encouraged students to not hesitate in approaching the police assistance desk in their schools if needed.
“Makita ni ninyo sila usually naa sa duol sa gate, sa main gate sa inyong mga schools, so please feel free to approach our policemen. Ask questions and they will guide you, “ he said.
(You can see them usually near the gate, the main gate of your schools, so please feel free to approach our policemen. Ask questions and they will guide you.)
Stating that ensuring the safety of students can only be possible with the cooperation of teachers and parents, Pelare pleads to the public to teach their children what to do and what not to do to stay safe outside of their homes.
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Advice to parents
In order to avoid possible cases of missing children due to kidnapping, Pelare advised parents to pick their children up from school themselves or to make sure that they would be fetched by people they trusted.
“Sa mga parents or guardians, if you can, murag ihatod sa nila ug kuhaon sa nila ilang anak. And to remind their children, also the students, nga dili magpatakag kuyog. Hilabi na tong mga wa mailhing tawo, mga strangers,” he said.
(For the parents or guardians, if you can, send your children to school and fetch them too. And to remind their children, also the students, not to go with just anybody, especially with people you don’t know or with strangers.)