Cebu City Council backs cellphone regulation over total ban in schools

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Councilor Pastor “Jun” Alcover Jr. is pushing for an ordinance regulating cellphone use in schools as part of a broader effort to strengthen student safety and discipline following the fatal shooting inside a public high school in Tacloban City.

During Tuesday’s regular session, Alcover announced in a privilege speech that he will file a proposed ordinance next week to regulate the use of cellular phones by students in public and private schools. He said schools should remain “sanctuaries of learning,” where students focus on their education rather than digital distractions.

His announcement came after Councilor Alvin Arcilla suggested converting Alcover’s proposal into a city ordinance instead of limiting it to a resolution.

READ: No phone ban yet: Cebu City eyes metal detectors, student mental health

“For the information, we have already prepared a draft of this ordinance, and I will be submitting it next week,” Alcover told the council.

Tacloban tragedy

Alcover delivered the privilege speech days after a shooting inside San Jose National High School in Tacloban City left three students dead and around 20 others injured.

READ: DepEd Cebu to review Dumanjug’s proposed total phone ban in schools

Calling the incident a wake-up call for local governments, he urged Cebu City to review not only school security measures but also policies that promote discipline and responsible technology use.

“The question before us is not whether Cebu City is safe today. Are we sufficiently prepared should the unthinkable happen tomorrow?” Alcover said.

READ: Malacañang on Dumanjug’s cellphone ban: Penalty may be unreasonable

He commended Mayor Nestor Archival for directing schools to install metal detectors but stressed that physical security alone would not guarantee safe campuses.

“Security in our schools is not confined to metal detectors, security guards, or police visibility,” he said. “It likewise encompasses the maintenance of order, discipline, and an environment conducive to learning.”

Regulate, not ban

Alcover clarified that he does not support an outright prohibition on cellphones.

Instead, he proposed regulating their use during class hours, allowing teachers to authorize their use only for educational activities or emergencies.

“The purpose of students going to school is to learn,” he said.

During the discussion, Alcover emphasized that his proposal primarily targets minors in basic education rather than college students.

“Dili gani ko moingon nga total ban sa use sa cellphone. Ato lang gi-regulate.” (I’m not even calling for a total ban on cellphone use. I only want it regulated.)

Alcover argued that unrestricted cellphone use often distracts students through social media, online games, and unauthorized recordings, making it harder for teachers to maintain classroom discipline.

He also suggested requiring students to deposit their phones with teachers or school-designated personnel during class hours, allowing schools to retrieve them quickly in emergencies.

“Ang emergency para nako dili kay igo nga rason.” (For me, emergencies alone are not sufficient justification.) He noted that schools already maintain communication channels with parents through teachers and group chats.

Support for ordinance

Arcilla expressed full support for regulating cellphone use in schools and cited existing practices in some educational institutions.

“I would suggest… if mahimo ni siyang ordinansa sa City of Cebu.” (I would suggest… that this become an ordinance of Cebu City.)

Councilor Winston Pepito also backed regulation but cautioned against removing technology from education altogether.

“We can no longer detach ourselves from technology,” Pepito said.

He said cellphones remain valuable learning tools for research, note-taking, and interactive classroom activities, adding that they can also prove useful during emergencies.

“I support regulating the use of cell phones to ensure that they are used only for learning during class hours,” he said.

Concerns over total restrictions

Not all councilors agreed with stricter controls.

Councilor Sisinio Andales argued that the city should regulate dangerous weapons instead of equating cellphones with security threats.

“A cell phone is not a prohibited gadget. What is prohibited are deadly weapons,” he said.

He also questioned whether the city could impose the same rules on private schools, saying parents and parent-teacher associations already play significant roles in supervising students.

Andales added that parents should remain primarily responsible for monitoring their children’s cellphone use outside school.

School safety plan

Councilor Paul Labra said city officials had already begun consulting stakeholders following the Tacloban shooting.

The consultations brought together representatives from the Department of Education, the Commission on Higher Education, the Cebu City Police Office, education officials, and mental health practitioners.

Labra revealed that Cebu City currently has only seven guidance counselors serving schools across the city, prompting Mayor Archival to seek volunteer psychologists, psychiatrists, guidance counselors, and child development professionals to strengthen mental health interventions.

He added that the Cebu City Police Office has started reviewing school security plans, including police visibility, emergency preparedness, and campus safety assessments.

Among the proposals under discussion are active shooter response drills, security inspections, and determining the appropriate number of security guards each school needs.

Presiding Officer Philip Zafra likewise raised concerns over the ratio of security guards to students, saying many schools lack enough personnel to effectively screen everyone entering campus despite plans to install metal detectors.

Resolution adopted

The City Council later adopted Alcover’s omnibus motion requesting the city government, the Department of Education, private schools, the Cebu City Police Office, the Bureau of Fire Protection, and the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to formulate a comprehensive School Safety and Security Program.

The program aims to strengthen campus security protocols, emergency response procedures, periodic safety assessments, and regular emergency drills while the council prepares to deliberate on Alcover’s proposed ordinance regulating cellphone use in schools.

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