As students across the Philippines prepare to return to school, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is set to deploy over 55,000 personnel under the Oplan Balik-Eskwela initiative. PNP chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. emphasized that ensuring student safety is the police force's top priority. The deployment consists of 28,751 police officers, alongside 22,677 force multipliers from partner agencies and community groups. To enhance security, the PNP will establish 9,319 police assistance desks and deploy 9,525 mobile patrol units in school areas. Nartatez assured that ongoing law enforcement operations will remain unaffected during this heightened security period. Additionally, the Department of Education (DepEd) has dismissed rumors about class suspensions and anticipates enrollment figures between 26 million and 28 million students for the upcoming school year, which will follow a new three-term calendar to mitigate disruptions caused by natural disasters.