Smooth opening for schools in CV

CEBU, Philippines - Department of Education-7 Regional Director Carmelita Dulangon said that the opening of classes in the region yesterday went very smoothly.

“It was very smooth and all the children came to school joined the flag ceremony and were warmly welcomed…So far, there were no accidents and the children got their first lessons in the first day of classes,” she said.

She said around 1.5 million students went back to school yesterday in the entire region. These are the numbers that had enrolled earlier.

Dulangon will still check how many students physically went to school and the number of late enrollees who just enrolled yesterday and within the week.

DepEd Cebu City Division officer-in-charge Danny Gudelosao, said their minor concerns included transferees from the private and old students who just enrolled yesterday.

He also questioned why parents still let their children enrolled late when they already implemented the “no collection” policy.

He added that all the parents need to do is just to go to the school in the schedule date of enrollment and just fill up the enrollment form.

Province

The start of school was also smooth-sailing for the Cebu Province according to DepEd Provincial Schools Superintendent Arden Monisit.

In an official visit yesterday to the Provincial Capitol, Monisit said that all was well in the schools in the province and there was no major problem.

“Smooth kaayo atong opening of classes,” said Monisit, who said in his last instruction last week that all teachers should be in the classrooms during the first day of class as well as school heads who should be manning the school and the district supervisors who should look over their respective districts.

Monisit said there was no reported shortage of classrooms.

“Daghan man classrooms gidungag nato,” explained Monisit. He added that as far as the sufficiency of teachers is concerned, there are more than enough. In fact, Monisit said he signed last week papers for the appointment of 1,400 teachers in addition to the more than 10,000 teachers the province currently has.

Acting Governor Agnes Magpale said that she would be renewing 200 provincially-funded teachers.

Monisit added that he will be talking with municipal and city mayors as well to get their commitment that they will renew financial allocations for around 1,000 locally-funded teachers.

Based on the number of enrolled students as of noon yesterday, Monisit said they have already registered just under half a million public school student enrollees in the primary level.

Except for a few hitches, the first day of classes in both Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City yesterday also went smoothly yesterday.

“Days before sa klase miduaw na ang mga ginikanan sa eskwelahan gipangita ang pangan sa ilang mga anak busa diretso na sila sa ilang klase ganina,” said DepEd Mandaue City administrative officer Benjamin Tiongson.

DepEd Lapu-Lapu superintendent Eduardo Ompad, said because they lacked classroom, Grade 1 and Grade 2 classes in bigger schools were divided into two sessions.

Police assessment

Cebu Provincial Police Office Director, Sr. Supt. Patrocinio Comendador, said there were no untoward incidents in relation to the opening of classes.

The primary concern of the CPPO is vehicular accidents especially in schools along the national highway and barangay roads. But this time, there were none reported.

Comendador added there will also be policemen manning the school during the start and end of classes.

Cebu City Police Office Director, Sr. Supt. Mariano Natu-el Jr. said that entire Cebu City was also very peaceful. He did not also receive reports of untoward incidents from ground commanders.

Inspection

As classes in public schools opened, re-elected Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama personally conducted an inspection of two schools significant to his elementary school years.

Rama first went to Tejero Elementary School where he spent his first two elementary grades, before heading to Don Vicente Rama Memorial Elementary School where he continued his education. The unannounced visit was intended to determine the actual situation and concerns of public school campuses in the city.  — Jessa J. Agua, Marigold P. Lebumfacil, AJ de la Torre, Ria Mae Y. Booc, Flor Z. Perolina and Marielle Palaubsanon, CNU Communications intern/BRP