Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 1) — Security is the top priority for government as an estimated 27 million students troop back to school on June 5.
The Department of Education (DepEd) led other government agencies in a command conference on Thursday ahead of the opening of the school year. According to reports by law enforcement agencies, there should be no security threat to the opening of classes, despite the recent bombings in Quiapo as well as the Maute attacks in Marawi.
“Intel from the PNP (Philippine National Police) shows there is no security threat in Metro Manila and the entire National Capital Region,” Ramon Pranada, operations officer of the Quezon City Police District Operations Officer, told reporters in the briefing.
Nevertheless, he added, the PNP will put in additional measures to be prepared for any eventuality.
Anti-crime units will be deployed around schools located in crime-prone areas. K-9 units will also be assigned to schools usually targeted with bomb threats. These will add to the regular operations of the PNP, setting up checkpoints around the city and doing regular patrols in neighborhoods.
The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), meanwhile, is sending out an additional 2,300 traffic enforcers on June 5 to ease congestion around school areas. It will also increase personnel to boost anti-smoking, anti-jaywalking and sidewalk-clearing operations next week.
“Our main objective is to maintain peace and order to protect students, teachers and parents,” Pranada said.
A total of 27 million students are enrolled in public and private schools this year, up 8% from 2016, DepEd data showed. Some 2 million children will enter kindergarten. Bulk of enrollees are in elementary school, numbering about 14.4 million.
On the second year of the full implementation of K-12 education, 7.7 million students are enrolled in junior high school, which include grades 7 to 10. Another 2.8 million are in senior high school, including the country’s first ever batch of 12th graders.
In Marawi City, however, schools will remain shut for another two weeks. Classes are likewise postponed in eight nearby barangays in Iligan and Lanao del Sur — a precautionary measure in case the fighting spreads.
Education Secretary Leonor Briones said the she deferred to the security advisors of President Rodrigo Duterte, and their recommendation was to suspend classes for now. The rest of Mindanao will have their schools open by June 5, though.
“It’s not because the military needs time to deal with the [Maute] incident. It’s because we have to check the schools and classrooms if they’re still useable and safe, if there aren’t any dangerous items left there,” Briones said during the command conference.
Briones estimated the Marawi crisis displaced about 5,000 school-age children. The number could still rise as residents continue to flee the violence. It’s also unclear when — or if — they can return to their hometown, she said.
Displaced Marawi students will be allowed to enroll in other schools within or even outside Mindanao. Those who don’t have their paperwork can just present their Learner Reference Number. In areas that will likely absorb most of the Marawi students — Iligan and Cagayan de Oro — DepEd is hiring more teachers who can speak Maranao.
CNN Philippines Digital Producer VJ Bacungan contributed to this report.
