DepEd to deploy metal detectors, tighten campus security after Tacloban school shooting

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) is rolling out a nationwide School Safety Campaign that includes deploying handheld metal detectors in public schools, conducting security audits and strengthening anti-bullying measures following the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara announced the campaign on Friday, June 26, saying the department is moving quickly to reinforce school safety through stronger security protocols and closer coordination with local governments, law enforcement agencies, parents and communities.

“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.

“Hindi natin hahayaang malagay sa panganib ang ating mga mag-aaral. Kaya lalo nating hihigpitan ang koordinasyon sa ating mga partner at stakeholder upang masigurong hindi na mauulit ang ganitong trahedya,” he added.

(We will not allow our students to be put at risk. That is why we will further strengthen our coordination with our partners and stakeholders to ensure that a tragedy like this will never happen again.)

The initiative comes after the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City involving two students. The incident left three students dead and injured more than a dozen others.

Angara visited Tacloban on June 23 to extend condolences to the victims' families and check on the condition of the injured students and affected teachers. During the visit, he ordered the immediate implementation of stricter security protocols in schools.

On Friday, Angara also convened all DepEd regional directors to ensure the immediate and uniform implementation of the new security measures nationwide.

Under the campaign, all public schools will be equipped with handheld metal detectors. DepEd will also enforce stricter visitor management systems, regular bag inspections, the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and the strategic deployment of security personnel.

The department said school officials will undergo reorientation on the Guidelines on Ensuring a Safe and Motivating Learning Environment, the Anti-Bullying Act and existing child protection policies. Schools will also review their reporting, investigation, referral and intervention procedures.

Schools Division Offices have been directed to work closely with local police, parents and barangay officials, while DepEd is coordinating with the Philippine National Police, Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines, Liga ng mga Barangay, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Department of Health to align response protocols.

The campaign also includes expanding confidential reporting channels for bullying and violence, updating emergency response protocols for lockdowns and evacuations, rolling out age-appropriate digital citizenship and online safety programs, and providing psychological first aid, counseling and psychosocial support to victims, perpetrators and witnesses of violence.

To encourage reporting, DepEd said schools will establish accessible and confidential channels for students to report bullying, violence and other protection concerns. Schools will also update their emergency response protocols for incidents involving active violence, lockdowns and evacuations.

The department is also set to introduce age-appropriate digital citizenship and online safety programs for students, parents and school personnel to address risks in the digital space.

Meanwhile, DepEd said victims, perpetrators and witnesses of violence will be provided with psychological first aid, counseling and psychosocial support as part of its comprehensive intervention program.

The rollout of the School Safety Campaign comes as the government moves to address a recent string of violent incidents involving minors.

On Thursday, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. ordered concerned government agencies to determine the root causes of the recent cases of school-related violence after expressing alarm over the incidents.

Aside from the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City that left three students dead and more than a dozen others injured, authorities also reported several stabbing incidents involving students in Cavite and Negros Occidental this month. The Department of the Interior and Local Government likewise said it had thwarted another potential school shooting in Tolosa, Leyte, following a tip received by authorities.