Angara directs nationwide drive to boost school safety measures

MANILA, Philippines — Education Secretary Sonny Angara, following an order from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr, has started directing a nationwide, multi-agency effort to strengthen school safety measures following the shooting incident at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City.

As part of this urgent push, Angara convened a security briefing on Thursday with officials from various agencies —the Philippine National Police (PNP), the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI), and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center (CICC).

According to a statement issued by the Department of Education, the briefing focused on coordinating intelligence sharing, improving immediate threat response, and strengthening cyber and physical security protocols around campuses nationwide.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Angara leads DepEd response to Tacloban school shooting

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

“As ordered by President Bongbong Marcos, we met with PNP, NBI, and CICC to ensure that our monitoring will be quick and comprehensive, not only in schools but also in the digital space,” he said in Filipino.

“We need to cooperate and use all the force of the government to ensure that each student will be safe from any threat or danger,” Angara said.

The following are some of the immediate measures that Angara ordered:

Conduct a nationwide school safety audit.

Increase police visibility in coordination with the PNP.

Monitor daily the affected students and personnel of San Jose National High School

Review existing school safety policies under the School Safety Campaign.

Allocate funds for public schools to acquire handheld metal detectors and repair perimeter fences.

“We strengthened the coordination among schools, local governments, police, other government agencies, and supporting organizations to avert danger and make sure that schools will be safe,” Angara said.

Article continues after this advertisement

“We won’t allow fear to become a part of our children’s trip to school. We will do everything to strengthen security, provide easier access to support, and be able to respond to threats before they get worse,” he added.

DepEd is also encouraging local school boards to maximize the use of the Special Education Fund (SEF) for school safety and security measures, consistent with existing laws and regulations.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Tacloban shooting renews push for CCTV coverage in campuses

Strong multi-agency response

Following the Tacloban City incident, the Schools Division Office of Tacloban City has provided psychological first aid (PFA) from June 23 to 26 to help affected students and teachers process trauma and restore a sense of safety.

According to DepEd, the activity brought together a strong multi-agency response, with the participation of the following:

University of the Philippines Tacloban

Department of Health (DOH)

Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU)

Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC)

Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)

City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD)

Paglaum Center

Philippine Guidance and Counseling Association – Eastern Visayas (PGCA-EV)

Revealed Love Ministries Philippines.

The Schools Division Office also convened all school heads for an orientation on school safety in partnership with the PNP Tacloban.

The activity focused on emergency preparedness, threat assessment, reporting protocols, campus security, crisis response, and the role of school leaders in strengthening learner protection.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

Beyond the immediate response, DepEd continues to conduct training and orientations for teachers, guidance personnel, and parents to help identify early warning signs of bullying, violence, and other risks affecting learners. /atm