On September 5, 2024, a dialogue was held regarding the petition. In attendance were myself, the former GPTA president, an alumni officer, and all the heads of the BSF administration, along with the DepEd Leyte legal counsel.
Here’s a summary of my recollections:
- It was emphasized during the dialogue that the alumni and parents DO NOT have any authority over how the fence project is executed, as it is funded by MOOE, with no PTA or alumni funds involved. The principal has the legal authority to carry out the project, which will proceed as there are no legal issues.
- According to the administrative heads, the primary focus is the safety and security of the students, making this the top priority, while the visual appeal of the fence is a secondary concern.
- The school also participated in a nationwide eco-friendly contest. While some petitioners, including myself, argued for using steel bars instead of hollow blocks, the administration insisted that steel bars are not eco-friendly (I have some reservations about this assessment).
- The petitioners clarified that the legality of the project was never a question; we simply requested reconsideration regarding the design or aesthetics and the height of the fence since the school grounds’ beauty is obstructed. The current fence under construction is a "blackout design" which totally obstructs the school grounds beautiful view. A better and practical design should have been chosen which both provides safety and security of students and at the same time maintains unobstructed view from outside. We were just hoping that all safety and security measures, such was communication with outside vendors, would be addressed, and suggested to benchmark the design used by other schools, which incorporates concrete with steel bars on top.
I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone involved for their understanding, especially to the parents and alumni who supported the petition. It is noteworthy to mention and proper to give gratitude to the DepEd Leyte Counsel, Atty Veronica Bautista-Valuis for her precious time and effort being spent in resolving the issue. To those who felt offended, it was never my intention, nor that of the supporters of the petition. This situation arises from our deep love and loyalty to our beloved alma mater.
Hanggang sa muli!