The Cebu Provincial Government has established an anti-bullying hotline to receive complaints involving children and students across the province, Governor Pamela Baricuatro announced. The hotline will be managed by designated focal persons from the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and the Provincial Youth Development Office.
Hotline and emergency numbers
Governor Baricuatro said she has directed the two offices to assign personnel who will handle 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
Cebu Police Provincial Office Director Colonel 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 a school shooting in Tacloban City on June 22, 2026, involving two minors, which left three students dead and 20 others injured. "We are taking proactive steps to prevent such tragedies from happening in Cebu," Governor Baricuatro said according to a provincial press release.
