Education Secretary Sonny Angara has unveiled a hybrid campus security framework that combines school security guards with barangay tanods, police patrols, local government security personnel, and enhanced surveillance systems to strengthen safety in public schools nationwide.
The Department of Education (DepEd) said the framework aims to address limited security manpower through a localized deployment strategy based on school enrollment and campus security needs.
The initiative builds on existing partnerships under Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum Circular No. 2026-037, or the Safer School Zones policy, which outlines the authorized roles, coordination mechanisms, and operational boundaries of barangay tanods in supporting peace and order and public safety in and around school zones.
Local government units (LGUs) and barangays will play complementary roles in school safety, particularly in perimeter security, traffic and crowd management, monitoring during peak arrival and dismissal hours, and the immediate reporting and referral of incidents to the appropriate authorities. These measures will remain within the authority of school officials and other competent agencies.
“Alam natin ang limitasyon sa ating pondo, kaya hindi natin pwedeng iasa sa iilang security personnel lamang ang seguridad ng buong kampus,” Angara said, emphasizing the need for schools to work with communities and other stakeholders to maintain safe and orderly learning environments.
Under the proposed framework, DepEd will prioritize security guards for high-density campuses while tapping community support to supplement security measures in smaller schools.
Small schools with fewer than 500 learners and medium-sized schools with 501 to 1,000 learners are proposed to receive one security guard, supported by barangay tanods during peak arrival and dismissal hours and Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) volunteers for gate-duty assistance.
Large campuses with 1,001 to 3,300 learners are proposed to have two security guards, supported by LGU or barangay watchmen for perimeter control and PTA assistance teams for crowd and traffic management.
Very large campuses with 3,301 to 8,500 learners and extremely large campuses with 8,501 or more learners are proposed to receive four security guards, reinforced by Philippine National Police (PNP) mobile patrols and LGU security officers.
DepEd will implement the scheme in two phases, beginning with schools classified as Large and above before expanding the program to small and medium-sized schools.
The Department will also strengthen physical security through investments in surveillance and access-control infrastructure, including closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, improved area lighting, access control systems, and security scanners.
The hybrid model is designed to maximize available resources while creating a coordinated security network involving schools, communities, LGUs, barangays, law enforcement agencies, and other stakeholders.
