OPENING PREPARATIONS. Village officials and teaching staff of La Union National High School Sacyud Annex in San Fernando City, La Union continue with the "Brigada Eskwela" preparations amid the weather disturbance on Wednesday (July 24, 2024). Public elementary and high schools will open on Monday (July 29). (Photo courtesy of San Fernando City LGU)
MANILA – Around 30,000 police officers will ensure the safety of students across the country when public elementary and high schools open Monday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) said Sunday.
PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said that while several local government units have postponed school opening following the onslaught of Super Typhoon Carina and monsoon rains, the police force remained focused on securing the students.
“Habang hinaharap natin itong sitwasyon ng bagyong Carina ay tuloy tuloy na rin naman 'yung ginagawa natin paghahanda para nga sa balik eskwela ngayong taon na ito (As we face this situation caused by Typhoon Carina, we continue in our preparations for Balik Eskwela this year)," Fajardo said in a recent interview.
The Department of Education (DepEd) on Friday said 738 schools -- 442 in Central Luzon, 206 in the National Capital Region, 86 in the Cordillera Administrative Region and four in Cotabato -- have rescheduled their class opening.
Fajardo said officers are instructed to conduct patrols in the schools’ vicinity and to establish police assistance desks (PADs).
Police officers must also coordinate with school officials to discuss security measures.
Meanwhile, DepEd has dismissed the request of Makati City to administer and manage three schools in Embo (Enlisted Men's Barrio) that are among the eight villages ordered transferred by the Supreme Court to the jurisdiction of Taguig City.
DepEd Undersecretary for Operations, lawyer Revsee Escobedo, said Makati's request lacked legal basis.
Makati requested on Aug. 29 and 31, 2023 to run the Makati Science High School, Fort Bonifacio Elementary School and Fort Bonifacio High School.
It asserted that the ownership of the lots and the school buildings “unambiguously remains with the City of Makati” and its supposed “unquestionable capability” to manage the aforementioned schools.
Taguig City opposed the request, explaining that education is not a function devolved to local government units and thus all public elementary and high schools are managed and operated by the national government though the DepEd.
In the case of the Embo public schools, they must be administered under the jurisdiction of the DepEd Taguig-Pateros since the schools are located within the territorial jurisdiction of Taguig.
Escobedo also said Makati’s request would contravene both the 1987 Constitution and the Governance of Basic Education Act of 2001 which provide that governance of basic education is a national government mandate.
The Supreme Court affirmed in 2021 that Taguig has jurisdiction over Bonifacio Global City and the 10 Embo villages. (With report from Christopher Lloyd Caliwan/PNA)
