ILOILO City – A surge of students and vehicles marked the opening of School Year 2025-2026 across Western Visayas on Monday, June 16, but thanks to intensified security and coordinated traffic management, regional authorities reported a smooth, incident-free start.
The Police Regional Office 6 (PRO-6) and the Iloilo City Traffic and Transport Management Office (ICTTMO) confirmed that no untoward incidents were recorded on the first day of classes, attributing the orderly resumption to the combined efforts of law enforcement, local officials, and community volunteers.
“As of this reporting, there were no reported incidents related to the class opening in the region,” said Police Lieutenant Colonel Arnel Solis, PRO-6 spokesperson. “Our personnel remained deployed at key areas including schools and transport hubs to ensure safety and ease of movement.”
Over the weekend and into early Monday, the Philippine National Police maintained a strong presence across school zones and busy intersections. The initiative was supported by barangay officials and force multipliers to manage the expected crowd surge, especially in city centers.
In Iloilo City, Uldarico Garbanzos, ICTTMO chief, said preemptive coordination with school principals and parent-teacher associations was key in alleviating traffic congestion, particularly in heavily populated school areas such as Baluarte Elementary School and Iloilo Central Elementary School.
“Monitoring started as early as Sunday in major terminals like Mohon, Tabuc Suba, and Lopez Jaena in Jaro,” Garbanzos said. “We saw manageable traffic volumes by Monday, though some school zones experienced moderate congestion.”
Authorities assured the public that heightened security and traffic control measures will remain in place in the coming days to safeguard students and ensure continued order./PN
