Angara boosts school safety with security, anti-bullying plan ~ HUMAN RIGHTS PROMOTIONS

Friday, June 26, 2026

Angara boosts school safety with security, anti-bullying plan

Friday, June 26, 2026 Herbert Curia - Promoter No comments

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Angara boosts school safety with security, anti-bullying plan

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) unveiled a nationwide School Safety Campaign to strengthen learner protection and campus security measures following the deadly shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara announced the initiative, which brings together schools, parents, local government units (LGUs), law enforcement agencies, and community stakeholders to enhance prevention, reporting, response, and intervention mechanisms against bullying, violence, and other threats to school safety.

“We are moving with urgency because protecting our children is our absolute priority, and as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has always emphasized, our schools must remain safe zones for learning,” Angara said.

He added that DepEd would strengthen coordination with its partners and stakeholders to prevent similar incidents from happening again.

The campaign follows the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, where two learners were involved in an incident that left three students dead and more than a dozen others injured.

Angara traveled to Tacloban on June 23 to meet with the victims’ families, visit injured learners in hospitals, and assess the condition of affected school personnel. During the visit, he ordered the immediate implementation of stricter campus security measures.

READ: Several solons file resolutions seeking Tacloban shooting probe

On Friday, Angara convened all DepEd regional directors and directed them to ensure the immediate and uniform implementation of updated security protocols nationwide. He also ordered close monitoring of compliance across all school divisions.

Under the School Safety Campaign, DepEd will upgrade on-site security by equipping public schools with handheld metal detectors, implementing stricter visitor management systems, conducting regular bag inspections, expanding closed-circuit television (CCTV) coverage, and deploying security personnel in schools.

The department is also conducting safety audits of public schools to assess physical infrastructure, including perimeter fences, access points, lighting, and emergency exits, to identify and address security risks.

DepEd said it is reorienting school administrators on the Guidelines on Ensuring a Safe and Motivating Learning Environment (ESMLE), the Anti-Bullying Act, and existing child protection policies. Schools are also reviewing reporting, investigation, referral, and intervention procedures for learner protection cases.

Schools Division Offices are coordinating with local police, parents, and barangay officials to strengthen community-based safety efforts, while DepEd is working with the Philippine National Police, the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, the Liga ng mga Barangay, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, and the Department of Health to align response protocols.

The department said it will also strengthen case management and inter-agency referrals under the ESMLE guidelines to improve coordination with local social welfare, police, and health offices.

As part of the campaign, Schools Division Offices will consult Supreme Learner Governments and School Governing Parent-Teacher Associations to gather information on bullying, cyberbullying, and challenges in reporting safety concerns.

DepEd will establish confidential reporting channels for bullying, violence, and other learner protection issues, while schools will continue updating emergency response protocols for incidents involving violence, lockdowns, and evacuations.

The department is also rolling out age-appropriate digital citizenship and online safety programs for learners, parents, and school personnel.

In addition, DepEd said it has institutionalized intervention programs to provide victims, perpetrators, and bystanders with immediate access to psychological first aid, counseling, and psychosocial support. The department said the School Safety Campaign aims to strengthen both immediate response measures and long-term reforms to ensure a safe, secure, and supportive learning environment for all Filipino learners