The Cebu Provincial Government has established an anti-bullying hotline for students and children, managed by designated focal persons from the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and the Provincial Youth Development Office.
The Cebu Provincial School Board will implement awareness and intervention programs for students, teachers, and parents covering topics such as school safety protocols, anti-bullying, crime prevention, gangsterism, extremism, and radicalization.
Cebu Police Provincial Office Director Col. Abubakar Mangelen Jr. reported that 2,516 security personnel have been deployed to schools, following a June 22, 2026, school shooting incident in Tacloban City.
THE Cebu Provincial Government has established an anti-bullying hotline to receive complaints involving children and students across the province.
Gov. Pamela Baricuatro said she has directed the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and the Provincial Youth Development Office to designate focal persons who will manage the hotline.
Schools will also be encouraged to post their emergency hotline numbers to provide students, teachers, and school personnel with easier access to assistance during emergencies.
The initiative will be implemented through the Cebu Provincial School Board in coordination with the Philippine National Police, the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
Awareness and intervention programs
During an emergency meeting convened by Baricuatro with the Provincial Peace and Order Council, officials approved a recommendation for the Department of Education to implement awareness and intervention programs for teachers, students and parents.
The programs will focus on crime prevention, school safety protocols, anti-bullying campaigns, gangsterism, extremism and radicalization.
School security measures
During the meeting, Cebu Police Provincial Office Director Col. Abubakar Mangelen Jr. reported that security measures have already been strengthened in schools across the province.
According to police records, 2,516 security personnel have been deployed to schools throughout the province.
Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams and other local personnel have also been mobilized to help ensure the safety and security of students.
The initiative comes in the wake of the school shooting in Tacloban City last Monday, June 22, 2026, involving two minors, which left three students dead and 20 others injured. / MI KIZZIAH REEVE TANTOG