The Taguig City government welcomed the decision of the Department of Education (DepEd) to place under its supervision the disputed 14 schools in Makati pending their transition. 

The Taguig and Makati City governments have been wrangling over the administration of the schools, located among the 10 barangays that were decided by the Supreme Court to be under the jurisdiction of Taguig. 

Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano at Tibagan High School in Barangay East Rembo on Aug. 15 (Photo from the Taguig City government)
 

Makati is insisting that a writ of execution should be secured first to implement the Supreme Court decision while Taguig Mayor Lani Cayetano insisted that it was not needed for the transfer of supervision of the 14 affected schools from Makati to Taguig.  

“We would like to thank Vice President and Secretary of Education, Sara Z. Duterte for taking a decisive role in the implementation of the final and executory Supreme Court decision transferring 10 barangays from Makati back to the jurisdiction of Taguig as it affects the management and administration of the public schools within those barangays,” the Taguig City government said in a statement issued on Aug. 17. 

It said that Duterte’s “decision to immediately form a Transition Committee without the need for a Writ of Execution, a move that was welcomed by Mayor [Abby] Binay herself, puts an end to that issue and allows all parties to move forward for the benefit of the community.”

The 14 affected schools in the EMBO (Enlisted Men's Barrio) barangays are Makati Science High School, Comembo Elementary School, Rizal Elementary School, Pembo Elementary School, Benigno “Ninoy” S. Aquino High School, Tibagan High School, Fort Bonifacio Elementary School, Fort Bonifacio High School, Pitogo Elementary School, Pitogo High School, Cembo Elementary School, East Rembo Elementary School, West Rembo Elementary School and South Cembo Elementary School. 

The DepEd issued Order No. 023 on Aug. 16 noting “the increasing tension present in the 14 schools affected by the aforementioned ruling, thereby causing uncertainty as to the peaceful and orderly reopening of schools on August 29, 2023.”

“The subject schools are DepEd schools. Hence, in the pursuit of protecting the best interest and welfare of our learners, teachers, and non-teaching personnel, the Office of the Secretary shall directly supervise the management and administration of all 14 schools, pending a transition plan, effective immediately,” according to the order. 

DepEd said the transition committee will be composed of a regional director assigned outside of the National Capital Region, DepEd Schools Division Superintendent of Taguig-Pateros, DepEd Schools Division Superintendent of Makati City, city legal officer of Makati and city legal officer of Taguig. 

The transition committee is tasked to prepare a physical inventory of all properties involved, collate transition documents including, but not limited to, a complete list of existing contracts involving the operations of the subject schools, and create a final transition plan.

“During the transition period, all activities to be conducted within the premises of and/or in relation to the subject public schools, including those from the Local Government Units of Makati and Taguig, shall require prior approval from the Office of the Secretary (OSec),” the Deped ordered, adding that “the Philippine National Police shall ensure the strict implementation of this Order.”

It added, “Further, the concerned school heads shall directly report and defer to the Office of the Secretary on matters pertaining to the daily operations of the subject public schools.”

The Taguig City government said, “We look forward to crafting the transition plan together with the Department of Education and all relevant government agencies. With DepEd order 023 series of 2023, which specifically lists the collation of “transition documents” as a priority, we hope to finally receive the data that we had been requesting from Makati that would allow Taguig to extend assistance to those affected more effectively.. 

It assured Duterte “that she has our full support in fulfilling her mandate to ‘provide a safe and enabling environment for learners, teacher and (DepEd) personnel.’ We are likewise committed to the smooth, orderly, and peaceful transition - not just in the conduct relative to the administration of these schools - but in all aspects of community life affected by the Supreme Court decision.”

“We also welcome Mayor Abby Binay’s statement that she and her office will work ‘wholeheartedly with the transition team’ where the issues related to the transfer of jurisdiction from Makati to Taguig can be discussed and resolved without need for re-litigation,” it said.