3,500 cops mobilized for today’s opening of classes
BUTUAN CITY – At least 3, 500 policemen have been mobilized to ensure the smooth opening of classes today in the five provinces and six cities in Northeastern Mindanao (Caraga region).
Education Secretary Armin Luistro will lead the opening of classes in 46,624 schools in various parts of the country in Sarangani province. Last year, he inspected schools in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) “to show solidarity with Muslim Filipinos,” and in 2013, he went to Culion in Palawan to visit island schools.
Luistro has always preferred to inspect “out-of-the-way” schools during class opening. In an earlier statement, he said that this is because “we want to let teachers, principals and students know that we have not forgotten them and that they are not alone.”
The DepEd Chief also noted that schools outside Metro Manila, such as those situated in islands and mountain or schools that cater to children with special needs, indigenous peoples, or Muslim learners, “are as much a part of the educational system as any public school in the city….but not too much attention gets focused on them.”
Even before he became DepEd Secretary, Luistro said that “people have been used to hearing about chairs and classrooms and late enrollees surging through gates.” By visiting schools in far-flung areas, he hopes that the public will also realize that “there are other things that need our attention.”
Other DepEd officials will also conduct school visits in various schools in Metro Manila and other provinces. DepEd Regional Directors as well as Schools Divisions Superintendents (SDS) and Supervisors were also directed to conduct assessments on the opening of classes in all public elementary and high schools nationwide.
Policemen are now deployed in various schools and universities to ensure the safety of students while other teams will help in managing traffic in all major thoroughfares.
The regional command of Police Regional Office 13 (PRO 13) also mobilized the regional, provincial and city mobile forces and police safety battalion to assist the various city and provincial police offices and municipal police stations all over the Caraga region.
Supt. Martin M. Gamba, spokesman of the regional command of PRO 13, said the police force is tasked not only to maintain peace and order but also to keep the whole citizenry safe and sound, particularly all school children year in and year out.
In a memorandum to all field unit commanders, Gamba said the police have been tasked to maintain a close working relationship with the De- partment of Education (DepEd) and other national and local government agencies concerned, deploy personnel to carry out patrol, and keep the communication lines open for any complaint or report.
The respective area commanders, directors and chiefs of police are required to establish a police desk that will render immediate assistance to the citizenry.
“It’s all systems go. We are ready,” Gamba said.
He added that Chief Supt. David Y. Ombao, regional director of PRO 13 also ordered all commanders to also strengthen their respective headquarters’ defense plan while doing the foot and mobile patrolling on a 24-hour basis.