Gov. Arthur Yap is looking at a plan to help the youth mitigate the impact of curfews and quarantine on their social well-being and mental health.

The governor revealed his plan during Friday’s (July 3, 2020) press briefing at the Capitol attended by the different media representatives. Bohol Tribune’s  Dave Albarado asked the governor about his plan for the youth who might have some effects on their prolonged stay in their homes five (5) days a week, and only allowed to break their curfew on Fridays and Saturdays, with the emphasis that they should be accompanied by an adult (who is not aged 65 years old or over) as they go out.

The governor, at the same time, raised the alarm on the underwhelming school enrollment figures in Bohol. He is saying that there is a possibility that hundreds of thousands of Boholano learners may not be going to school this year.

In response to The Bohol Tribune’s question, the governor has directed the Provincial Youth Development Office (PYDO) to come up with a program, together with the Department of Education (DepEd), and the various religious organizations.

“I am willing to consider breaking the curfew by one (1) or two (2) more days, as long as they (PYDO, DepEd, and religious organizations) supervise a break,” the governor said.

Yap also said that while the minors, aged 18 years old and under, are getting a break during Fridays and Saturdays, largely they are unsupervised when going out to break the curfew.

“But considering the alarming rates of non-enrollment basin we need to come up with a system of supervised outings, hiking, learning packages with the Church, the PYDO, and the DepEd,” Yap explained.

He added, “There are grave consequences. Truly, grave consequences when we lock up the youth, so we will do something about it,” the governor added.

The United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) in an article published on April 14, 2020, said that the methods that the government is using to combat the Covid pandemic may cause high levels of stress and anxiety.

“ Movement restrictions, the closure of schools, loss of income, isolation, overcrowding and high levels of stress and anxiety are increasing the likelihood that children experience and observe physical, psychological and sexual abuse at home – particularly those children already living in violent or dysfunctional family situations,” the article reads.

“While online communities have become central to maintain many children’s learning, support and play, it is also increasing their exposure to cyberbullying, risky online behavior and sexual exploitation,” the UNICEF said in its article.

In the same article the UNICEF said, “It can be harder for children to understand the importance of the quarantine and curfew procedures. In the case of violation of curfews, verbal sanctions, such as reprimand and warnings, in addition to explaining the importance of these procedures, to the child and his or her parents/guardians should be sufficient.”

“In times of emergency, children are already confused and distressed from the fear and anxiety brought by the uncertainty of the spread of disease. We at UNICEF would want to ensure that there is a protective and caring environment for children at all times. We encourage all local government units to implement the recently launched Joint Memorandum Circular that shall protect the best interest of children, by ensuring that they are physically, emotionally, and psychologically protected all the time,” the same article quoted Patrizia Benvenuti, UNICEF Philippines Chief of Child Protection Section.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) in an article published on March 27, 2020, entitled “Mental health and psychological resilience during the Covid-19 pandemic”, it said, “This is indeed an unprecedented time for all of us, especially for children who face an enormous disruption to their lives. Children are likely to be experiencing worry, anxiety and fear, and this can include the types of fears that are very similar to those experienced by adults, such as a fear of dying, a fear of their relatives dying, or a fear of what it means to receive medical treatment. If schools have closed as part of necessary measures, then children may no longer have that sense of structure and stimulation that is provided by that environment, and now they have less opportunity to be with their friends and get that social support that is essential for good mental well-being.”

The article also says, “Being at home can place some children at increased risk of, or increased exposure to, child protection incidents or make them witness to interpersonal violence if their home is not a safe place. This is something that is very concerning.”

The article continues, “Although all children are perceptive to change, young children may find the changes that have taken place difficult to understand, and both young and older children may express irritability and anger. Children may find that they want to be closer to their parents, make more demands on them, and, in turn, some parents or caregivers may be under undue pressure themselves.”

The WHO suggests in the article,” Simple strategies that can address this can include giving young people the love and attention that they need to resolve their fears, and being honest with children, explaining what is happening in a way that they can understand, even if they are young. Children are very perceptive and will model how to respond from their carers. Parents also need to be supported in managing their own stressors so that they can be models for their children. Helping children to find ways to express themselves through creative activities, and providing structure in the day – if that is possible – through establishing routines, particularly if they are not going to school anymore, can be beneficial.“

The article further said, “Mental health and psychosocial support services should be in place, and child protection services need to adapt to ensure that the care is still available for the children of families who need it.”

ALARMING ENROLLMENT FIGURES

As of July 2, 2020, the enrollment figures in Bohol’s public and private schools are underwhelming to say the least.

The governor already sounded the alarm in relation to the low turn out of enrollees in the schools in Bohol, both public and private and he expressed apprehension upon seeing the enrollment data.

In the statistics provided by the DepEd to the governor, and presented during Friday’s press briefing, the enrollment in public schools for Kindergarten to Grade 6 is at 74.39%, where 124,318 learners enrolled in school year 2020-2021 compared to 167,095 enrolled learners in school year 2019-2020.

The same statistics said enrollment for Grade 7 to Grade 10 is at 70.57%, with 63,706 learners enrolling this year compared with 90,272 enrolled learners in school year 2019-2020.

On the other hand, the enrollment for senior high school, in public schools, the enrollment is at 95.25% with 26,566 learners enrolling this year compared to 27,887 enrolled learners in school year 2019-2020.

The enrollment situation is not great in the private schools, according to DepEd statistics.

The private schools enrollment in Kindergarten to Grade 6 is only at 25.72% with only 2,197 learners enrolling this year compared to 8.541 learners who enrolled last school year.

The enrollment for junior high school in private schools is at 49.88% with only 10,805 learners enrolling this coming school year compared to 21,663 learners who enrolled in the previous school year.

Moreover, the private school senior high school enrollment is only at a paltry 36.68% with only 3,761 learners enrolling this year compared to 10,252 learners who enrolled in school year 2019-2020.

It shows, especially in private schools, that there is a massive drop in enrollment, the governor said.

Clearly, the governor said, there are some students who will not be going to school this year.

“If they (the learners) are not going to school, kinahanglan mangita ta ug pamaagi kun unsaon nato paghatod sa educational materials nila. If that means we have to go the Internet and our programming sa media, social media, we have to do it,” the governor said.

NO FACE TO FACE CLASSES

In the Executive Order (EO) No. 33 issued by Yap, face-to-face classes are still not allowed and these face-to-face classes have been disallowed since March when the province started to impose the community quarantine.

The governor said before that he is not going to allow face-to-face classes until a vaccine against Covid is discovered.

However, with the enrollment figures  declining, Yap is seeking possible remedies so learners can continue with their education despite the restriction on face-to-face classes.