IN preparation for the coming face-to-face classes among elementary pupils, the Cagayan de Oro Police Office (Cocpo) has taken the initiative in helping a government school campus in cleaning their surroundings today.

Aside from their service firearms tucked on their waists, police personnel from stations 1-10 have carried with them brooms and some cleaning materials and proceeded to Corrales Elementary school.

The said activity started at 2 pm and culminated late in the afternoon.

And just like dealing with a criminal, law enforcers bravely faced the dust and garbage inside and outside of the said school and got rid of them all.

Dubbed as ‘Higalang Pulis’ clean-up drive initiative, and ‘Barangaynihan tabang tunghaan,’ Cocpo Director Aaron Mandia said the activity was on its 3rd wave since they started.

Mandia said the primary objective of the activity is aimed to forge a stronger relationship between the Police and the Community and ease the burden of teachers in cleaning their classrooms and the school itself in support of the government’s agenda on peace and order and promoting environmental protection to boost the existing initiatives relative to community assistance and development programs.

School principal Andy Ligsagan said in his message that they were so much grateful to Cocpo for partnering with their school in the conduct of clean-up drive initiative into their School vicinity.

He said, the activity is timely since the face-to-face classes are still not yet resumed thus, they need extra effort in maintaining their school premises clean, presentable, and free of garbage.

He said, he and his teaching staff warmly welcomed the participants, the students, the force multipliers, civilian volunteers, and the men and women in uniform of the Cagayan de Oro City Police Office.

Alzula, a criminology intern and representative from Phinma-COC said the 4th year criminology intern students would like to volunteer in the clean-up drive in line with the 2022 Women's Month Celebration.

“As we end our three days orientations, we would like to extend our gratitude and support to Cocpo headed by City Director Mandia as well as to the Corrales Elementary School principal, faculty, and staff. We are hoping that this day will end with a positive and fruitful result. So, through this initiative we can help the community and promote cleanliness,” Alzula said.

For his part, Police Major Evan Viñas, Cocpo spokesman said they are conducting the said activity consistently every month.

“This is in consonance with the mandates of the National Headquarters that we have to conduct a Clean-up drive in relation to Kaligkasan. We have here our Clean-up drive, Barangayanihan Tabang Tonghaan, with the theme: ‘Cleanliness is the only way to keep all the diseases away.’ We have to clean the surroundings of the said school and this is for the good of everybody and for the pupils soon they will be having a face to face classes,” Viñas said.

He added that Cocpo is hoping that the students, force multipliers, and the uniformed personnel will perform the activity heartily and with love.

Other groups who helped the cleaning were the City Mobile Force Company, Special Units with Cocpo volunteers, stakeholders, and youth organizations.