School woes in Northern Luzon: River crossing, ‘no bag’ rule
DAGUPAN CITY—The resumption of classes in Northern Luzon has once again exposed the daily struggles faced by teachers and students assigned to or living in remote communities in this city, a major commercial hub in Pangasinan.
Each morning, teachers board river taxis along the “babaliwan”—a local term referring to the city’s winding waterways —to reach schools in the island barangays. While a land route is available, it takes more than an hour, cutting into valuable time meant for teaching.
Students from the island villages of Pugaro Suit, Lomboy and Salapingao in Pangasinan province follow a similar routine.
Carrying backpacks and school bags, they ride motorized bancas to cross Calmay River and attend classes on the mainland. For many, the alternative land travel is not just time-consuming but often unfeasible.
For both teachers and students, these daily river crossings highlight the persistent challenges of delivering education to isolated communities.
Prohibited items
In nearby La Union province, the school opening raised concerns on students’ safety and to prevent them from concealing prohibited items that could pose safety risks, elementary and secondary students in the capital city of San Fernando are barred from bringing backpacks or school bags starting on Monday when classes resumed.
The San Fernando City Schools Division Office issued the policy in Division Memorandum No. 321-2025 dated June 11, signed by Schools Division Superintendent Sheila Marie Primicias.
“The use of backpacks or school bags may provide an opportunity to conceal prohibited items such as vapes, cigarettes and deadly weapons, thereby posing a potential risk to the safety and security of the school community,” the memorandum stated.
Under the policy, homework is no longer assigned, and textbooks and other instructional materials must be kept in the classrooms, and students no longer need to bring bags, the memorandum explained.
“All learning materials, particularly textbooks, must be kept in the classrooms. This ensures that students do not have to carry these materials to and from school, eliminating the need for backpacks,” it added.
Instead, students are encouraged to use pouches for their personal belongings.
Some parents and teachers, however, have expressed dismay over the new rule. San Fernando City has eight secondary schools and 26 elementary schools under its jurisdiction.
“Many parents are against the policy because students still need bags to carry their books, notebooks, and other items,” a teacher, who asked not to be identified in this report, said in a telephone interview this week.
“Besides, how can they review their lessons if their books are left at school?” the teacher added.
