QC all set for opening of classes

Quezon City Mayor Feliciano Belmonte Jr. has assured the public that the city is all set for tomorrow’s school opening as police, barangays and various frontline offices of the city government have been mobilized for the safety and security of students.

The mayor has directed all concerned agencies and departments to work hand-in-hand in ensuring the orderly opening of classes in Quezon City.

"Be sure that on Monday, city residents, parents, teachers and students and everybody concerned will feel and realize that their city government is ready and prepared for the opening of classes," the mayor said.

The Central Police District will be deploying over 250 police personnel, augmented by around 2,500 barangay security development officers, not only at the city’s public elementary and high schools, but also at the private and public colleges and universities in Quezon City.

Schools covered by police deployment include the Technological Institute of the Philippines, Philippine School of Business and the Arts, Ateneo de Manila University, Miriam College, University of the Philippines-Diliman, St. Paul’s College, Trinity College, Ramon Magsaysay High School, Roxas High School and Quezon City High School.

Police will also be visible along bus and jeepney terminals, malls and in major roads and thoroughfares near schools sites, including EDSA, A. Bonifacio, Commonwealth Avenue, Litex Road, Katipunan Avenue, E. Rodriguez and Aurora Boulevard.

The mayor lauded CPD director Chief Superintendent Nicasio Radovan for coming up with a police deployment plan, noting that this speaks well of the district’s readiness and preparedness for the school opening.

To complement the CPD effort, the mayor has mobilized various frontline offices of the city government, including the city’s school division, market development and administration department, urban poor affairs and information services office, engineering and the office of the secretary to the mayor.

Belmonte urged these offices to coordinate with the police in helping address special areas of concern, such as sidewalk vending and traffic.

As this developed, the mayor said the city will have enough classrooms to accommodate the more than 350,000 students enrolled in the different public elementary and secondary schools as plans are underway for the construction nine additional school buildings this month to accommodate the city’s increasing student population.

To be constructed are school buildings at the Betty Go-Belmonte Elementary School, Doña Juana Elementary School, Holy Spirit Elementary School, Lupang Pangako Elementary School, Quirino High School, San Bartolome High School, San Diego Elementary School, San Francisco High School and Sauyo Elementary School.

The mayor expressed optimism that with the construction of the additional school buildings, the city government would be able to further the radio of students-to-classroom distribution in a more manageable proportion.

To date, the city has the largest enrollment in both public and secondary levels.

"With the ever increasing number of public school enrollees, the pressure is continually on us to construct more school buildings to provide a comfortable student-to-classroom ratio for our school children," Belmonte said.

The mayor said that while the city government has succeeded in providing a manageable student-to-classroom proportion in three of the city’s four districts, there is a still a need to improve the ratio in District II, which constitutes majority of the city’s depressed communities.

Since the mayor assumed office on July 2001, the city government has built 22 additional school buildings, comprising of about 351 classrooms.

Apart from the proposed construction of the nine additional school buildings, construction is also underway for additional school buildings at Payatas A Elementary School, Bagong Silangan Elementary School, Ernesto Rondon High School, Lagro High School and Quezon City High School.