ABELLANA National School, which will house over 800 police officers tasked to secure the 2024 Palarong Pambansa, said that "only enhancements are being done" since preparations had already started before the Central Visayas Regional Athletic Association (CVIRAA).
Officer-in-charge (OIC) principal Gerlie Alberio said in an interview on Monday, June 24, 2024, that CVIRAA was already a dry run for the Palarong Pambansa.
"Before CVIRAA, we were already preparing all the things needed for Palaro. Repairs, major plumbing, and then electricity for the water supply...repainting, and then the structuring mostly for the CR…and then the application of epoxy paint to the floor to reduce accidents," Alberio said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
The school has 520 existing beddings, but with 800 police officers expected, they are working to address the shortfall with the provision of the Local School Board (LSB) and the Department of Education (DepEd) Cebu City Division office.
Alberio said they are currently engaged in beautifying the school's porches and installing directories and signage to assist guests in navigating the school, but stressed that they are “not difficulties, just improvements.”
When asked about the ventilation system, the OIC principal said that each of the 54 lecture classrooms in the RSB Building is equipped with a maximum of four wall fans and two stand fans, with an expected number of 14-15 policemen per room.
Water supply and sanitation have also been addressed, with the school having its own deep well and a team of 10 maintenance staff to ensure the comfort rooms are well-maintained.
Alberio also said that maintenance staff is on duty from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. to keep the quarters clean, and highlighted the support from the division office.
“If the system remains the same as in CVIRAA, the division will assign six people, with three working at a time in 12-hour shifts, to ensure the cleanliness particularly in the restrooms,” Alberio said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Abellana National School is expecting its guests to arrive starting July 1, before the solidarity meeting slated on June 6, which the school will also be hosting. (Eva Joy Bugas/UP Cebu Intern and Stephanie Joy Famoso/NWSSU Intern)