Tight security enforced as Tacloban schools reopen after shooting

TACLOBAN CITY — Public schools in Tacloban City reopened Wednesday under heightened security measures as education officials, police, and local government units moved to reassure parents and students following the deadly shooting at San Jose National High School that killed three students and injured 20 others.

The Department of Education (DepEd)-Tacloban Division ordered stricter security protocols across the city’s public schools, including increased police visibility, tighter monitoring of campus entrances, and closer coordination with barangay officials to prevent a repeat of the June 22 tragedy.

READ: Angara leads DepEd response to Tacloban school shooting

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Classes resumed in most public schools, although three campuses remained closed pending safety assessments and the completion of additional security measures. Among these schools is the San Jose National High School, the site of the grisly shooting incident. The two other schools are elementary schools located in the San Jose district.

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Emergency meeting

To address concerns over school safety, Schools Division Superintendent (SDS) Sherlita Palma convened an emergency meeting on Tuesday at San Fernando Central School attended by school heads, district supervisors, Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) officers, law enforcement officials, and local government representatives.

The meeting was called in the wake of the mass shooting at San Jose National High School, allegedly carried out by two minor students, which left 23 victims, including three fatalities and 20 injured individuals, 15 of whom sustained gunshot wounds.

Representatives from the Tacloban City Police Office and the Regional Police Intelligence Group assured education officials that police presence would be intensified in all 60 public schools in the city. Authorities are committed to conducting regular patrols and surveillance operations within and around school premises.

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Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Tacloban City director Jean Redi Briones emphasized the need for a “whole-of-society” approach to school security. Briones said that addressing youth violence requires the cooperation of schools, families, barangays, law enforcement agencies, and community organizations.

Briones urged barangay officials to maximize the participation of Barangay Tanods and Barangay Peacekeeping Action Teams (BPATs) in securing school zones, noting that police resources alone may not be sufficient to cover all campuses.

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He also called for stronger youth engagement programs, values-formation activities, and community-based interventions to address gang and fraternity-related concerns.

School administrators were instructed to coordinate closely with barangay officials, familiarize themselves with school layouts and emergency exits, and strengthen monitoring efforts within their respective campuses.

Security measures

Palma, meanwhile, reminded school officials to remain calm and focused amid the challenges brought about by the tragedy.

“Stand strong on what we can control,” Palma said, urging school leaders to prevent fear and panic from affecting teachers and learners.

Among the security measures agreed upon during the meeting were training security personnel in human-induced hazard response, updating school contingency plans, repairing and upgrading perimeter fences with the support of Local School Boards, updating site development plans to meet safety standards, and implementing stricter profiling of individuals entering school grounds.

Federated PTA president Jericho Labonete said parent organizations would support security initiatives by enhancing closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems and rolling out the Schools Division’s eEskwela application.

READ: Tacloban shooting renews push for CCTV coverage in campuses

Palma also acknowledged voluntary contributions from schools across the division to assist the victims and their families, describing the gesture as a manifestation of solidarity within the education sector.

Meanwhile, Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez called on educators and school officials to remain resilient as the city recovers from the tragedy.

“We need to be strong. We need to be resilient. We need to move forward,” the mayor said.

The June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School is considered the deadliest school-related incident in Eastern Visayas.

The attack claimed the lives of Joyancee Separa, 15; Nicole Daza, 14; and Chris Lorenz Fabian, 15, while 20 others were injured.

READ: School shooting kills 3 students in Tacloban

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Authorities continue to investigate the incident as education and local government officials implement long-term measures to strengthen campus security and restore public confidence in the schools’ safety./coa