BOHOL continues to strengthen peace and order efforts, with school safety and student violence prevention taking center stage during a joint provincial security meeting Monday.
This was after Governor Aris Aumentado presided over the Joint Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) and Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC) meeting, with Vice Governor Nick Besas, at the Ceremonial Hall on September 21, 2026.
Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Bohol Provincial Director Johnjoan Mende, Board Member Nathaniel Binlod, Executive Assistant Romeo Teruel, members of the Management Executive Board, and other stakeholders attended the meeting.
Retired General and Executive Assistant Arthur Evangelista presented a proposal for a provincial school safety and student violence prevention program, emphasizing the need for coordinated measures to protect learners and school communities from potential threats.
The proposal introduced the 4Ps Crisis Management Framework—Predict, Plan, Prepare, and Prevent.
It calls for schools and communities to identify warning signs and assess credible threats, establish clear roles and emergency procedures, strengthen the preparedness of students, teachers, parents, schools, and responders, and address factors that may contribute to violence.
Evangelista’s presentation came amid the council’s emphasis that school safety remains a priority and non-negotiable component of the province’s peace and order agenda.
DILG-Bohol Provincial Director Mende commended the proposal and recommended its referral to the Special Action Committee for the development of a contingency plan.
Other matters discussed during the meeting included the provincial peace and order and insurgency situation reports, with the 47th Infantry Battalion reporting a cleared threat situation and no intended violent activities by the New People’s Army.
The council also received updates on anti-insurgency measures for 24 high-poverty, conflict-vulnerable, and geographically isolated municipalities, including livelihood support, anti-insurgency symposiums for senior high school students, and the proposed Bohol Local Integrated Security System.
Also included is implementation of Executive Order No. 70 or the Creation of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).
The council approved an additional Confidential Funds Resolution and adopted Regional Peace and Order Council Resolutions Nos. 4 to 7 for dissemination to concerned stakeholders.
PADAC also reported ongoing efforts in monitoring, advocacy, health promotion, and capacity building, while discussions included a proposal to explore the Maribojoc District Hospital as a drug rehabilitation center, subject to community consultation.
The initiative aligns with the Capitol’s Strategic Change Agenda, particularly its commitment to strengthening governance and service delivery while building a safe, resilient, and inclusive Bohol where communities and young people can thrive. (PIMO/JFP)
