(EASTERN SAMAR PROVINCIAL INFORMATION OFFICE)
TACLOBAN CITY — Eastern Samar Gov. Ralph Vincent “RV” Evardone has reaffirmed the provincial government’s commitment to improving education and strengthening school safety, saying local governments and schools must work together to protect children and help them succeed.
Evardone made the commitment during the 6th Regional Management Committee (REMANCOM) meeting of the Department of Education (DepEd)- VIII on Thursday, Aug. 27, held in Borongan City.
“It takes a village to raise a child,” Evardone said, emphasizing the need for closer cooperation between local government units and the education sector in addressing concerns affecting students.
He cited recent initiatives of the provincial government, including funding support for school safety measures in both the Eastern Samar and Borongan City Schools Division Offices (SDOs).
The governor said ensuring that schools are safe and conducive to learning is part of the government’s broader responsibility to protect children while improving their access to quality education.
The REMANCOM meeting brought together education officials and school division leaders from across Eastern Visayas to assess progress, identify challenges and determine the support needed by each division.
Discussions focused on measures to assist struggling learners, sustain quality instruction and strengthen school safety, with the assessments expected to help the DepEd regional office tailor technical assistance to the specific needs of individual school divisions.
The meeting also marked the formal installation of newly reassigned schools division superintendents Gorgonio Diaz Jr. for the Eastern Samar Schools Division Office and Edgar Tenasas for the Borongan City Schools Division Office.
DepEd Region VIII Regional Director Salustiano Jimenez and Assistant Regional Director Marilyn Siao attended the meeting, along with Borongan City Mayor Jose Dayan Agda.
The meeting comes amid heightened attention to school safety in Eastern Visayas following a June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City that left three students dead and 20 others injured.
The incident has prompted schools, police, local governments and other stakeholders across the region to strengthen security coordination, threat monitoring and emergency preparedness.
Against this backdrop, Evardone’s call for stronger cooperation between local governments and the education sector underscores the importance of community-wide efforts in ensuring that schools remain safe places for children to learn and develop.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
