Public schools in Western Visayas are facingthe perennial lack of classrooms and teachers as classes start Monday.

Department of Education regional director, Dr.  Mildred Garay, yesterday said the WV still needs 249 elementary and  465 high school classrooms.

And the even bigger need is additional teachers.

Garay said 2,916 elementary and 2,794 high school teachers are also needed in WV.

Negros Occidental and Bacolod City policemen are closely monitoring school gangs in public and private institutions with the schools opening on Monday.

Senior Supt. Allan Guisihan, Negros Occidental police director, said they are coordinating with school administrators to curb recruitment of students into gangs.

Guisihan said many students get into trouble because they join gangs. Parents should know who their children’s peers are in and outside their school, he said.

Drivers of 10,287 public utility jeepneys in Western Visayas will soon receive P1,050 each in fuel assistance or a total of P10,801,350 under the government’s Pantawid Pasada or Public Transport Assistance Program, Rey Malleza of the Department of Energy-Visayas Field Office announced yesterday.

The Pantawid Pasada Cards will be turned over by the Department of Energy to the WV Land Transportation Office in Iloilo on June 9 that will in turn distribute them to their LTO field offices throughout the region for release to the drivers, he said.