Dumanjug Mayor Guntrano “Gungun” Gica clarified that the municipality’s cellphone restriction in public schools was not adopted in response to the recent school shooting in Tacloban City but is part of a broader education reform program aimed at improving student learning outcomes.
According to Gica, the policy has long been planned as part of the municipality’s long-term strategy to address declining academic performance, discipline, and classroom focus rather than as a reaction to a single violent incident.
“The policy of restricting the use of mobile phones in schools within the Municipality of Dumanjug was never intended as a reactionary measure to the recent shooting incident involving students at a public high school.
Rather, it has long been envisioned as part of a broader, long-term strategy to address the alarming educational challenges confronting our locality,” Gica said.
The mayor recalled that concerns over declining learning outcomes had already been raised during the Municipal School Board meeting in March, when school heads and district supervisors reported that many learners were falling behind expected academic competencies.
He said education officials noted that several Grade 7 students continue to struggle with lessons that should have been mastered in elementary school, while teachers also face challenges brought about by overcrowded classrooms and existing academic requirements.
“The educational crisis we face today is more than a temporary challenge—it is a serious threat to the future of our children and our community,” Gica said.
Following the implementation of the cellphone restriction, Gica said the local government would observe an adjustment period after consulting school administrators, district supervisors, the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO), the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office (MSWDO), and traffic personnel.
He said the group agreed that students and parents should first be given time to adapt before the policy is strictly enforced.
“Nagkaunyon kaming tanan nga nagkinahanglan og panahon ang atong mga estudyante ug mga ginikanan aron maka-adjust niining mga kausaban, mao nga maghatag una kita og mubo nga adjustment period,” he said.
During the transition period, confiscated smartphones may still be claimed immediately by parents or guardians from the principal’s office, allowing school officials to personally explain the policy.
Beginning in August, however, confiscated smartphones will only be released at the end of the school year.
Gica also clarified that the restriction does not cover analog or keypad phones, which students may continue bringing to school.
Aside from the cellphone policy, the mayor said the municipality continues to invest in programs designed to improve learning outcomes, including the Dahunog Dumanjug Tutorial Initiative, which has received nearly P6 million in funding for Mathematics and English catch-up classes for learners from Grades 1 to 12.
The municipality is also set to launch year-round Saturday tutorial sessions, establish a modern public library, and purchase five to eight school buses that will provide free transportation for students and school personnel.
To further strengthen campus safety, schools will be connected to an emergency communication network through two-way radios linking administrators directly with the PNP, MDRRMO, Bureau of Fire Protection, barangay officials, and other emergency responders.
“Para sa mga emergency, ayaw mo kabalaka kay dili matulog ang inyong Mayor,” Gica said.
Schools have also been instructed to conduct reasonable bag inspections to prevent weapons and other prohibited items from entering campuses, while existing ordinances on youth curfew, smoking, and alcohol consumption will continue to be enforced as part of the municipality’s broader campaign to promote discipline and safety among young people.
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