Soldiers join raising of flags in schools

LEGAZPI CITY—Army personnel in Bicol joined flag-raising ceremonies in leading public schools in every municipality and city in the Bicol region Monday that marked the opening of classes this school year.

Major Angelo Guzman, spokesperson of the 9th Infantry Division based in Pili, Camarines Sur, said officers and members of Army brigades based in Albay, Masbate, Camarines Sur, Camarines Norte, Sorsogon and Catanduanes provinces joined the flag-raising rites in designated public schools in their assigned areas, which was simultaneously done by all Army units in the Philippines.

At least 1.6 million students were expected to attend classes in various public kindergarten, elementary and secondary schools across Bicol.

Roy Banas, spokesperson of the Department of Education (DepEd) Bicol, said there is a slight rise of

2 percent in this year’s number of enrollees, majority of whom, or 1,042,990, are in the elementary grades while 409,299 are in the secondary level and 161,084 pupils in the kindergarten level.

Banas said this year’s 1.6 million students would be accommodated in at least 865 classrooms spread over the six Bicol provinces. He said an additional 800 classrooms would be built this year to address the 1,822-classroom shortage in Bicol.

There are 40,425 public school teachers in the elementary and secondary levels in Bicol but the DepEd is still short of at least 10,575 teachers to meet the ideal teacher-student ratio of 1:45, he said.

Banas said they expected to hire 3,000 new teachers this year to cut the teachers’ shortage problem.

Guzman said female soldiers led the version of Panunumpa ng Katapatan sa Watawat ng Pilipinas (oath of allegiance to the Philippine flag) after the singing of the national anthem.

He said joining the flag-raising ceremony was the first activity of the Army in a series of events laid out this week to celebrate Independence Day on June 12.