Romualdez pushes for stronger school safety measures

TACLOBAN CITY –Leyte First District Rep. Martin Romualdez has proposed a host of measures to strengthen school safety and child protection as part of a comprehensive response to the June 22 mass shooting at San Jose National High School that left three students dead and 20 others injured.

Romualdez presented the proposals during a consultative meeting with national government agencies, local officials, and mental health experts on Tuesday, June 30, to identify immediate and long-term interventions following what has been described as one of the deadliest school shooting incidents in the country.

The meeting brought together officials from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Health (DOH), the Department of Education (DepEd), and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), along with Tingog Party-list Representatives Andrew Romualdez and Jude Acidre.

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Romualdez stressed that protecting children is a shared responsibility that extends beyond a single government agency.

“This is not only San Jose’s problem or the problem of the victims’ families. It is everyone’s concern, and we must work together. Let us harness our resources, human capital, trained experts, and volunteers. Let us establish structures that will ensure we are prepared to address situations like this,” he said.

Following the consultation, government agencies agreed to pursue three key initiatives.

The first is the establishment of a Regional Psychosocial Volunteer Network, which will mobilize psychiatrists, psychologists, guidance counselors, social workers, and trained volunteers to provide psychosocial and mental health support to students, families, teachers, and other individuals affected by the tragedy.

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The second is the enhancement of the School Safety and Child Protection Program through stricter safety protocols, stronger child protection policies, and improved mechanisms to ensure students’ security and well-being.

The third is the implementation of a Parent and Community Education Initiative to strengthen the role of parents, guardians, and communities in protecting and guiding children, particularly in identifying behavioral concerns and promoting mental wellness.

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Romualdez said the participating agencies committed to working as a unified team by pooling mental health professionals and trained personnel to sustain intervention programs.

“We now have the commitment of the respective departments, through their regional directors, to work as one team. We will bring together trained professionals, psychoanalysts, guidance counselors, and other specialists—to support this effort. Many families face challenges because parents are working, including overseas, leaving children with limited supervision. We have to address these realities,” he said.

The Leyte lawmaker also said he would push legislative reforms in Congress to strengthen child protection laws, expand access to mental health services, and institutionalize school-based support systems nationwide.

Meanwhile, Reps. Acidre and Andrew Romualdez thanked government agencies and partner organizations for their response and cooperation in addressing the victims’ needs and preventing similar incidents.

Acidre underscored the need to revisit policies governing minors’ access to social media, noting that young people remain highly vulnerable to harmful online content.

READ: DepEd sustains support for Tacloban school shooting victims

“They are revisiting whether social media should be regulated for minors because young minds are still very sensitive and impressionable. Without appropriate safeguards, teenagers and even younger children may be exposed to violent content that is not suitable for them and could have serious psychological effects,” he said.

Romualdez emphasized that while ensuring justice for the victims remains essential, the government’s priority is to implement concrete reforms that will prevent similar tragedies from happening again.

He said stronger child protection programs, expanded mental health services, and safer learning environments are necessary to safeguard Filipino children and ensure that schools remain secure places for education.

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The June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School has prompted renewed calls for stronger school security, expanded mental health interventions, and closer coordination among government agencies, schools, parents, and communities to prevent future acts of violence./coa