QC ready for school opening

The Quezon City government has put in place all necessary measures to ensure that traffic runs smoothly and students are safe from criminal elements during the opening of classes on June 16.

City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. said preparations are now underway involving the city government, the Central Police District and the City Schools Division to address issues that may disrupt the school opening.

As part of the preparation, the city mayor has directed the Philippine National Police (PNP) District Traffic Management Group to deploy traffic enforcers at all intersections along major routes leading to different schools.

Central Police District director Chief Superintendent Napoleon Castro was also directed to increase police visibility near campuses to prevent criminal elements from taking advantage of the return of students.

Belmonte also assured parents that the city has adequate school-buildings to accommodate the thousands of children this coming school year.

The city government under the Belmonte administration has built more than 20 new schoolbuildings with more than 150 classrooms.

"The city government is set to construct 520 more classrooms up to year 2004," he said.

Aside from the additional schoolbuildings, the city government scholarship beneficiaries has also been expanded from 1,200 to 1,550 for this year to ensure that poor but deserving students can pursue their college education.

Belmonte also announced that public school libraries in the city will be transformed into electronic learning centers starting this year to provide poor students access to the internet.

The mayor has allocated some P12.87 million of the city’s special education fund for the project with 10 public schools from the city’s four districts selected as pilot areas. – Perseus Echeminada