THE Department of Education (DepEd) has launched a nationwide School Safety Campaign aimed at strengthening learner protection and campus security following the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City that claimed three student lives and injured more than a dozen others.
SAFETY CHECK Education Secretary Sonny Angara personally visited Tacloban on June 23 to meet with victims’ families, check on injured learners, and initiate tighter security measures. PHOTO FROM DEPED
Education Secretary Sonny Angara convened all DepEd regional directors to ensure the immediate and uniform implementation of enhanced safety protocols across the country.
The campaign introduces a multi-layered approach to campus safety, including the deployment of handheld metal detectors, stricter visitor management systems, regular bag inspections, expanded CCTV coverage, and increased security personnel in public schools. Safety audits are also being conducted to assess campus infrastructure, including perimeter fencing, access points, lighting, and emergency exits.
Alongside physical security upgrades, DepEd is reinforcing the implementation of the Guidelines on Ensuring a Safe and Motivating Learning Environment, the Anti-Bullying Act, and child protection policies. Schools are reviewing reporting, investigation, referral, and intervention procedures while strengthening coordination with parents, local government units, barangays, and law enforcement agencies.
At the national level, DepEd is aligning response protocols with the Philippine National Police, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Health, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, and Liga ng mga Barangay to improve case management and inter-agency referrals.
The department is also establishing confidential reporting channels for bullying and violence, expanding digital citizenship and online safety education, and providing psychological first aid, counseling, and psychosocial support for victims, perpetrators, and bystanders.
Through these reforms, DepEd aims to create safer, more secure, and supportive learning environments for Filipino students while strengthening preventive measures and emergency preparedness in schools nationwide.
