City Hall has deployed a team of skilled workers to six schools that needed repair as its contribution to the Department of Education’s Brigada Eskwela program.
Human Resource Management Office Chief Erwin Alparaque said the team of skilled workers was organized after City Administrator Zuleika Lopez issued Monday the order directing the different departments to assign a number of employees to take part in the yearly school clean-up activity.
On Wednesday, the team already started the repair works in the public schools in the list submitted by the Department of Education (DepEd). The schools are located in the districts of Poblacion, Talomo, Agdao, Toril, Tugbok, and Buhangin – or one school in each district.
Alparaque told reporters who attended the City Hall-organized I-speak forum that the team is fixing faulty ceiling fan, damaged ceiling, lights, blackboards that need repainting, chairs and comfort rooms.
He said they conducted actual inspections to check the reported problem of the schools in the DepEd list.
DepEd, as requested by the concerned school principals, requested Mayor Sara Duterte “to look into the conditions of the schools,” Alparaque said.
The team will make sure that the schools “will be ready for the opening of classes (on Monday),” he added.
On the other hand, Public Safety and Security Command Center (PSSCC) deputy officer Angel Sumagaysay said they have been preparing the Civil Security Unit (CSU) to fulfill their mandate as far as safety and security in school is concerned.
The CSU, also called as the public security guards, is composed of more than 1,000 members led by retired Col. Lyndon Paniza, under the direct supervision of the PSSCC.
Sumagaysay said the CSU agents have been reminded about their mandate in securing different public schools.
Alparaque said City Hall has been assigning CSU agents to provide security in elementary and high school public schools.
He said school principals asked help from City Hall to provide security and City Mayor Sara Duterte immediately assigned security guards.
“We need our schools to be guarded because there are reports of thieveries (and) robberies in (public) schools,” he said.
The deployment of CSU agents in school is in addition to police officers who patrol the schools and its vicinity to monitor and prevent any disturbance, including the proliferation of street gangs.
School supplies
The City Government has once again distributed school kits to 5,000 children.
The distribution is under Mayor Inday Sara Duterte’s education support program, one of her 10 priorities under the Byaheng DO30 agenda.
Lawyer Raul Nadela Jr., Mayor Duterte’s Chief of Staff, said this was the second year of distribution of school kits as the city’s counterpart in efforts at educating the city’s children.
“Mayor Inday decided to give school kits to those who are in need,” Nadela said.
The decision to provide school kits was prompted by letters Mayor Duterte had received from parents, who sought help so their children can have the necessary school supplies.
Nadela said the distribution did not put distinction between those in private and public schools nor did it consider the financial status of the parents.
“It does not matter if the children are studying in private schools, as long as the parents will fall in line for the school supplies, we will give them the kits,” Nadela said.
The kits consist of six notebooks, pencils, sharpener, crayons and papers. (with CIO)
