“Our country has been shaken by sorts of adversities, but our smiles and resilience remain unshaken.” – Tintin
Even in the midst of intensely impossible grim reality of life, Filipinos have always put to spotlight their seemingly unshakeable positivity, good nature and resilience. As known to many, Philippines is a highly climate vulnerable nation, and the country has done its fair share enduring the countless devastating wounds left by similarly countless disasters, including earthquakes, floods, landslides, volcanic eruptions and typhoons. But this is not a question anymore, as even public servants, particularly men in uniform, are willing to go the extra mile to serve the people and help ease the citizens’ vulnerabilities caused by the catastrophic impact of natural disasters.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) has joined hands with the Department of Education (DepEd) as it officially opened on Monday, July 29, 2024, the School Year (SY) 2024-2025 nationwide. Despite reeling from the combined effects of Typhoon Carina (International Name: Gaemi) and the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) which brought relentless rains, devastating floods and landslides across the country, DepEd reported that the first day of the school this year was generally smooth.
“Nais lang nating magpasalamat sa ating mga guro, estudyante at komunidad, mga principal [at] mga superintendent na tumutulong sa pag-aayos ng ating mga paaralan at nagsama-sama para makapasok ang students ngayong araw. (We just want to thank our teachers, students and community, principals and superintendents who are helping in organizing our schools and coming together to ensure that students can attend today),” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said in an interview.
“Malaking bagay po iyon. Talagang nag-bayanihan po tayo para makapasok ngayong araw. (That’s a big deal. We really worked together to make sure students could attend today),” he added.
It was not unknown to everyone that PNP has played a crucial role in the “smooth” opening of classes. 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 na 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.
In the anticipated opening of classes, the Philippine National Police (PNP) announced its comprehensive readiness in ensuring the safety of students, teachers, and parents nationwide. PNP deployed 33,286 personnel to various schools throughout the country for the orderly start of the academic year.
To address safety concerns and provide immediate assistance, Police Assistance Desks (PADs) were established in schools. Extensive foot patrols and mobile patrols were also conducted around school premises to deter criminal activities and ensure prompt responses to any incident. Deployed personnel maximized the strategic areas such as school vicinities, transport hubs, and main thoroughfares.
Police also coordinated closely with school authorities and local government units (LGUs). Local government traffic enforcement units assisted the police in managing traffic to ensure smooth vehicle flow. Moreover, barangay officials, barangay tanods, and other force multipliers assisted in maintaining peace and order, and ensuring public safety in their respective barangays.
“The safety of our children as they return to school is our utmost priority,” stated PNP Chief Police General Rommel Francisco Marbil. “We encourage everyone to cooperate and report any suspicious activities to the nearest PAD or local authorities,” CPNP added.
Prior to the official opening of classes, PNP has actively participated in the “Brigada Eskwela” clean-up initiative nationwide that kicked off from July 22 to 27, 2024, particularly in areas affected by the typhoon. On July 26, DepEd confirmed that at least 12,866 schools nationwide, particularly from the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), the National Capital Region (NCR), and Regions 1, 2, 3, 4-A, 4-B, 5, 6, and 8 were affected by inclement weather conditions and needed major repair and rehabilitation. Of the schools, a total number of 738 schools affected by floodings or those that served as evacuation centers – 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.
For schools that postponed their opening, DepEd Sec. Angara noted that they have set the start of classes depending on the readiness of resources. “May kanya- kanyang dates depending doon sa damage na nasustain no’ng mga eskwelahan. (They each have their own dates depending on the damage sustained by the schools),” he said.
It has been an annual tradition for the police force to participate in the Brigada Eskwela, a traditional form of “Bayanihan” come school opening wherein the activity was conceptually rooted on volunteering time and skills to do classroom repairs, maintenance work, and clean-up of public elementary and secondary schools. This program aims to address gaps faced by DepEd through strengthening partnerships with the local communities and government agencies and/or organizations.
This year’s Brigada Eskwela theme, “Bayanihan para sa Matatag na Paaralan”, aimed to make sure that students returned to safe and clean learning environments. The activity sent a clear significant message to foster understanding among all sectors of society that the education of the Filipino people is the responsibility of everyone.
Meanwhile, as of July 29, 2024, DepEd data showed there are 20.5 million (20,598,072) enrollees for this school year, both public and private schools across all basic education levels. DepEd reported that of this number, 17,979,764 students are enrolled in public schools, while 2,366,925 learners are in private schools. In State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) and Local Universities and Colleges (LUCs) offering basic education, there are 29,316 learners currently enrolled for this school year. Enrollment in the Alternative Learning System (ALS) also increased, with a recorded enrollment of 222,067.
The highest number of enrollees comes from the Elementary Level with 11,301,108, followed by Junior High School (JHS) with 6,204,006, and Senior High School (SHS) with 2,870,891. CALABARZON reported the highest number of enrollees at 3,070,457, followed by Central Luzon with 2,216,637 learners, and NCR with 2,207,473 learners.
Unexpectedly, said regions with the highest enrollees were the hardest hit places when Super Typhoon Carina entered the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) on July 24, and further intensified by the Habagat, declaring some provinces under states of calamities.
As of July 31, 2024, DepEd said a total of 22,768,864 students have enrolled for SY 2024-2025. Said number is expected to go up until the end of the enrollment period on September 16, 2024. According to Education Secretary Sonny Angara, 99% of schools open for School Year (SY) 2024-2025, while 673 schools, NCR and Regions 1, 3 & 4A, are still closed.
Fortunately, as of August 6, 2024, DepEd said all schools are now fully operational after the postponement due to the onslaught of Typhoon Carina.
Overall, the successful active participation of the police force before and during the opening of classes this SY 2024-2025 is a manifestation of its unwavering commitment to ensure the safety and security of learners and other educational stakeholders for a forward-looking Bagong Pilipinas!
