Cebu Provincial Board Endorses Creation of Second Schools Division Office
The Cebu Provincial Board (PB) has publicly declared its support for a proposed measure to establish an additional schools division office within the province, aimed at enhancing the delivery of educational services. Through a resolution spearheaded by 2nd District Board Member Neneth Reluya, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan has backed House Bill 7034, which was introduced by First District Representative Rhea Mae Gullas and seeks to create the Schools Division of Cebu Province 2.
Current Educational Infrastructure and Challenges
Currently, Cebu operates with 10 school divisions, encompassing Cebu Province, Cebu City, Mandaue City, Lapu-Lapu City, Talisay City, Carcar City, Danao City, Toledo City, Bogo City, and Naga City. The proposed new office is slated to be located in San Fernando City, Cebu, with the primary objective of alleviating the congestion faced by the existing Schools Division Office, which currently serves the entire province.
The resolution outlines the growing demands on the current division office, which covers 44 municipalities across seven congressional districts. According to data included in the resolution, the Province of Cebu has a total of 1,361 schools—1,143 public and 218 private—accommodating over 700,000 students. The DepEd Cebu Province division employs more than 26,000 teaching and non-teaching personnel, placing a significant strain on administrative and support services.
Addressing Service Delivery Issues
The resolution highlights that the existing office, situated in Sudlon, Lahug, Cebu City, faces numerous challenges in effective service delivery due to distance, travel time, severe traffic congestion, and transportation costs for teachers and other stakeholders. Additionally, it points out the limited number of health personnel assigned to the division, with only one medical officer, 16 dentists, and approximately 60 nurses serving over 600,000 students.
Given these constraints, the Board believes that establishing a second division office will contribute to more effective school management, faster processing of transactions, and easier access to services for teachers and stakeholders. Under the proposal, the new office will be temporarily housed in the Gabaldon Building at San Fernando Central School in North Poblacion, San Fernando.
This initiative reflects a proactive approach to addressing the logistical and administrative hurdles in Cebu's education system, potentially leading to improved educational outcomes and resource allocation across the province.
