𝐆𝐎𝐕. 𝐏𝐀𝐌 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐄𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐘 𝐌𝐄𝐄𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐍 𝐒𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐎𝐋 𝐒𝐀𝐅𝐄𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐂𝐑𝐎𝐒𝐒 𝐂𝐄𝐁𝐔
In response to a recent incident of school violence involving minors and students in Tacloban City, Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro on Thursday convened an emergency meeting of the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) to discuss measures to enhance student protection and campus security across the province.
During the meeting, the council approved several recommendations designed to improve safety in schools and safeguard the welfare of learners.
Among these is a recommendation for the Department of Education to conduct a series of awareness and intervention programs for teachers, students and parents focusing on crime prevention, school safety protocols, anti-bullying campaigns, gangsterism, extremism and radicalization.
“What kind of future will we have if we don’t take care of our children now?” Gov. Baricuatro said.
To improve emergency reporting, the PPOC also approved a measure directing schools to prominently display emergency hotline numbers on campus to ensure that students, teachers and parents have easy access to assistance.
𝐀𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞
Gov. Baricuatro likewise ordered the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office, in coordination with the Provincial Health Office and the Provincial Youth Development Office, to designate focal persons who will manage a province-wide anti-bullying hotline.
To strengthen policy coordination, the council agreed to recommend the inclusion of representatives from the Philippine National Police, Armed Forces of the Philippines and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology in the Cebu Provincial School Board.
During the meeting, Police Col. Abubakar Udang Mangelen Jr. said security measures were already in place in schools across Cebu.
𝟐,𝟓𝟏𝟔 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐝𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐲𝐞𝐝
Of the province’s 1,567 schools and universities, 2,516 security personnel have been deployed, including security guards, members of Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams and other designated security forces.
To institutionalize these efforts, Gov. Baricuatro also issued Executive Order No. 35 establishing the Cebu Safe Schools Program, which sets uniform policies on violence prevention, emergency response, and mental health services in schools across the province. (See separate story)
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