DepEd rolls out extensive school safety campaign
MANILA, Philippines — Handheld metal detectors will be made mandatory in schools while anti-bullying measures will be strengthened, as part of a comprehensive nationwide school safety campaign.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara launched the campaign yesterday following the deadly shooting at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban City.
The initiative aims to unite schools, parents, local government units, law enforcement agencies and community stakeholders to reinforce prevention, reporting, response and intervention mechanisms to curb bullying, improve campus safety and ensure timely support for learners and school personnel.
“We are moving with urgency because protecting our children is our absolute priority, and as President Bongbong Marcos always emphasizes, our schools must strictly remain safe zones for learning,” Angara said.
“We will not let our students be put at risk,” he added.
Under the multi-layered school safety strategy, all schools will be equipped with handheld metal detectors, establish strict visitor management systems, conduct regular bag inspections, install closed-circuit television cameras (CCTV) and strategically deploy security personnel.
Public schools are likewise undergoing safety audits to assess perimeter fencing, visitor access points, lighting and emergency exits to identify and strengthen high-risk campuses.
Angara also ordered the systematic reorientation of school administrators on the guidelines on ensuring a safe and motivating learning environment, the Anti-Bullying Act and existing child protection policies, along with a review of school-level reporting, investigation, referral and intervention procedures.
Schools Division Offices are working closely with local police, parents and barangay officials while aligning response protocols with the Philippine National Police (PNP), Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, Liga ng mga Barangay, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Department of Health.
They were directed to convene leaders of Supreme Learner Governments and school governing parent-teacher associations to gather real-time information on bullying incidents, cyberbullying concerns and barriers to reporting threats; establish confidential reporting channels for learner protection concerns and roll out age-appropriate digital citizenship and online safety programs.
Meanwhile, the Tacloban City government has begun implementing measures to help San Jose National High School recover from the tragedy.
On Thursday, Mayor Alfred Romualdez met with school head Liezel Pulga, teachers, school staff, DepEd officials, PNP commanders and city officials to discuss immediate interventions before classes resume.
Among the city’s immediate initiatives is the repainting of classrooms and selected school facilities to provide students and teachers with a refreshed learning environment.
The city government is also strengthening campus security by installing additional CCTV cameras, improving perimeter fences, setting up panic buttons linked directly to the nearest police station, deploying guards and assigning one male and one female police officer to inspect bags and monitor school entrances.
They also plan to fund additional school guards across the division. — Miriam Desacada
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