BAGUIO CITY – The Department of Education Division of city Schools reported that some twenty students from Marawi City have transferred to some of the elementary schools and a secondary school in the city as of June 15.
In his letter to Mayor Mauricio G. Domogan, Dr. Federico P. Martin, Schools Division Superintendent of Baguio city, said 19 students from Marawi City were able to enrol in the different elementary schools while 1 high school student was able to transfer to a secondary school in the city.
Martin disclosed the Baguio Central School and Emilio Aguinaldo Elementary School had 5 enrolees each from Marawi city, Apolinario Mabini Elementary School had 3 transferees from the conflict-stricken area, Jose P. Rizal Elementary School and Josefa Cariño Elementary School had 2 transferees each and San Vicente Elementary School and Crystal Cave Elementary School had 1 transferee each for this schoolyear.
He added the lone secondary student transferee was reported to have enrolled at the Pines City National High School for the current schoolyear.
Earlier, Domogan ordered the division of City Schools to submit a report on the number of students from Marawi City that actually transferred to the various schools in the city so that they could be subjected to the appropriate monitoring and counselling by concerned personnel of government agencies and the local government.
The local chief executive added the report from the Division of City Schools will be given to the concerned offices of the local government for them to verity and validate their identities in coordination with the leaders of the Muslim community so that they will be accorded whatever assistance.
It can be recalled that Domogan solicited the support of the leaders of the Muslim community in the city to provide local and police officials the identities of their fellow Muslims from Marawi city who have sought refuge in the city because of their desire to abandon the conflict-stricken area and want to live peacefully with their colleagues in the city.
According to him, the local government and concerned government agencies are just taking the necessary precautions to prevent the occurrence of untoward incidents that could compromise the peace and order situation in the city that could seriously affect the robust growth of the local tourism industry.
He said the local government will be consulting other government agencies and various offices in the city to prepare the appropriate programs for the Marawi transferees for them to be able to forget their harrowing experiences in their conflict-stricken area and for them to be able to be brought to the mainstream society of the city.
He expressed his gratitude to the leaders of the Muslim community for their continuous support and cooperation to the programs and projects being implemented by the local government to sustain the peace and order situation in the city, citing that local officials are not discriminating the Muslims in the implementation of laws, rules and regulations which is applicable to all.
By Dexter A. See