Analog, keypad phones still okay

CEBU, Philippines — Two days after the implementation of a total cellphone restriction in public schools, Dumanjug Mayor Guntrano "Gungun" Gica clarified that students may still bring analog or keypad phones.

The clarification came after Gica met with school heads, district supervisors, representatives from the Philippine National Police (PNP), Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office, and traffic personnel to review the implementation of the policy and discuss possible refinements.

He said local education officials agreed that students and parents should first be given time to adjust to the new rules before stricter enforcement begins.

During the adjustment period, students found carrying prohibited smartphones will have their devices temporarily confiscated but these will immediately be released once claimed by their parents or guardians from the office of the school principal.

Gica said the arrangement will allow school officials to personally explain the rationale behind the policy to parents and guardians.

Beginning in August, however, stricter enforcement will take effect. Smartphones confiscated from students will only be returned at the end of the school year.

"Nagkauyon kaming tanan nga nagkinahanglan og panahon ang atong mga estudyante ug mga ginikanan aron maka-adjust niining mga kausaban, mao nga maghatag una kita og mubo nga adjustment period," Gica said.

He likewise clarified that keypad or analog phones remain permissible under the policy.

Gica stressed that the cellphone restriction was not crafted as a response to the recent shooting incident involving students at a public high school elsewhere in the country.

Instead, he said the measure forms part of a broader education reform agenda that had already been discussed months before.

"The policy of restricting the use of mobile phones in schools within the Municipality of Dumanjug was never intended as a reactionary measure to the recent shooting incident involving students at a public high school. Rather, it has long been envisioned as part of a broader, long-term strategy to address the alarming educational challenges confronting our locality," Gica said.

He recalled that during a Municipal School Board meeting in March, school heads and district supervisors raised concerns over declining learning competencies among students.

According to Gica, education officials reported that many Grade 7 learners continue to struggle with competencies expected of Grade 3 pupils.

Teachers also expressed difficulty in addressing poor academic performance because existing policies require home visitation before failing a student, adding to the workload of educators already handling classes of more than 50 learners.

"The educational crisis we face today is more than a temporary challenge --it is a serious threat to the future of our children and our community," he said.

Among the initiatives already implemented is the Dahunog Dumanjug Tutorial Initiative, a municipality-funded summer tutorial program intended to help struggling learners improve their competencies.

Gica said the local government allocated nearly ?6 million for catch-up tutorials in Mathematics and English covering Grades 1 to 12 during the previous summer.

Beginning this July, the municipality will also conduct year-round Saturday tutorial sessions. Each tutorial session will last one hour with a maximum of 10 students per class to ensure individualized instruction, while teachers may handle up to four tutorial classes every Saturday.

The municipal government is also working toward establishing a modern public library that Gica said would encourage reading, research and lifelong learning among students.

In addition, the town plans to purchase five to eight school buses that will provide free transportation for students and school employees to improve school accessibility and reduce transportation costs for families.

To address concerns over emergencies, Gica announced that all school heads will receive two-way radios connected to the municipality's communication repeater system.

The communication network will directly link schools with emergency responders, including the PNP, MDRRMO, Bureau of Fire Protection, municipal traffic personnel, the mayor's office security force, barangay officials, and volunteer transport groups.

Aside from regulating cellphone use, schools have likewise been directed to conduct reasonable bag inspections upon students' entry into campuses.

According to Gica, the inspections primarily aim to detect weapons, sharp objects and other prohibited items that could endanger students, teachers and school personnel.

He said recent incidents of violence reported in various parts of the country only reinforced the urgency of implementing safety measures that were already under consideration.

Existing local ordinances require Grade 10 students and below to observe an 8 P.M. curfew, while all individuals below 18 years old are covered by a 10 P.M. curfew unless accompanied by their parents or guardians or otherwise allowed by law.

The municipality also enforces ordinances prohibiting individuals aged 21 and below from smoking, drinking alcoholic beverages, purchasing tobacco and liquor products, or buying such products on behalf of others.

According to Gica, these measures seek to provide an environment more conducive to learning by encouraging discipline, healthy routines and accountability among the youth.

The municipality is likewise planning to conduct voluntary Sunday services and Bible study.

Meanwhile, Malacañang expressed support for efforts aimed at limiting cellphone use inside schools to help improve students' concentration and academic performance.

However, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the administration is seeking clarification on whether the penalty of withholding confiscated phones until the end of the school year is reasonable.

The Department of Education's Schools Division Office in Cebu Province has yet to formally evaluate the policy.

Schools Division Superintendent Senen Priscillo Paulin said the division office has not yet received the official executive order or implementing document from the Dumanjug municipal government. — (FREEMAN)