Education Secretary Sonny Angara with police and school officials.
Students, teachers and school visitors should expect thorough bag inspections from guards using handheld metal detectors, as the Department of Education (DepEd) launched a broad safety campaign to avoid a repeat of the June 22 gun attack on a Tacloban City campus that killed three high school students and wounded at least 15 others.
The DepEd on Friday said the nationwide campaign included the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in public schools and strict screening of people entering campuses.
Public schools around the country would also undergo safety audits to identify potential gaps in physical infrastructure, including visitor access points, emergency exits, perimeter fencing and lighting.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara ordered the strict monitoring of all school divisions to ensure compliance, as he met with DepEd regional directors regarding the initiative.
On Monday this week, two pistol-wielding teens went on a shooting rampage at San Jose National High School in Tacloban.
The older suspect, a 15-year-old student, is now facing murder and frustrated murder charges, while the younger, at 14, is under the custody of government social workers.
Child protection policies
The DepEd said it would also review the reporting, investigation, referral and intervention procedures being followed by schools when responding to student concerns.
School administrators will be reoriented on current child protection policies, including the guidelines set under the Anti-Bullying Act.
Accessible and confidential channels to report bullying, violence and other concerns will be established. Also to be rolled out online safety programs for students, parents and school personnel to address risks arising from digital platforms.
Division offices will also gather inputs from student leaders and representatives of Parent-Teacher Associations regarding bullying incidents, including cyberbullying, and barriers to reporting threats.
PNP cooperation
A comprehensive intervention program will be set in place to ensure “psychosocial first aid” and counseling would be immediately provided to students who would be involved in school violence.
The DepEd is coordinating with the Philippine National Police, the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Health and local authorities regarding these protocols.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. promised full cooperation with the DepEd regarding the new security initiatives.
“We have directed all police regional and local units to closely coordinate with DepEd officials, conduct security assessments, increase police visibility around schools, and actively participate in intelligence-sharing and threat-monitoring efforts,” Nartatez said in a statement on Friday.
He hoped police presence would “provide reassurance and confidence, not anxiety, while ensuring that potential threats are deterred before they escalate.”
The PNP chief also supported a government review of “violent” video games in the wake of the Tacloban school shooting.
“The PNP recognizes the need to examine the possible effects of violent video games on children and adolescents, particularly following recent incidents of youth violence that have alarmed the public,” Nartatez said.
“While violent behavior is often driven by multiple factors, we cannot ignore the possibility that certain forms of content may contribute to the normalization of violence and increase the risk of imitation or copycat behavior,” he added.