The Department of Education (DepEd) expressed its gratitude to local government units (LGUs) and private sector partners for their proactive support in upgrading school security measures nationwide.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara highlighted the vital role of external funding for essential security equipment, including closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras and metal detectors, to ensure the safety of learners and personnel.
This came as Secretary Angara spearheaded a targeted school safety inspection and dialogue at Alfonso Castañeda National High School in Nueva Vizcaya. During the campus visit, the education chief personally assessed the school’s security protocols and led a thorough inspection of its active CCTV coverage.
“Tayo po sa Kagawaran ay labis na nagpapasalamat sa ating mga katuwang sa LGU at pribadong sektor, pati na rin sa ating mga masisipag na PTA, sa kanilang agarang pag-aksyon para sa kaligtasan ng ating mga mag-aaral,” Angara said.
“Alinsunod sa direktiba ng ating Pangulong Bongbong Marcos na tiyakin ang isang ligtas at payapang kapaligiran sa bawat paaralan, ang ganitong uri ng pagkakaisa at bayanihan ang magsisilbing matibay na kalasag ng ating mga kabataan laban sa anumang anyo ng karahasan.”
To ensure compliance with safety measures, senior DepEd officials also conducted parallel school inspections and localized evaluations across different regions.
The department has mobilized an urgent nationwide School Safety Campaign involving tighter screening, comprehensive safety audits, and psychosocial support mechanisms following recent incidents of campus violence.
In response, DepEd field offices, LGUs, and local stakeholders have mobilized to fortify public school perimeters and entryways.
In Region VIII, following a recent campus shooting in Tacloban City, the Tacloban Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce Inc. pledged to donate 20 metal detectors to the Tacloban City Schools Division Office (SDO).
Meanwhile, SDO Maasin City reported that its LGU successfully passed a resolution to purchase metal detectors for its high schools and large campuses, while its parent-teacher associations (PTAs) donated one metal detector to Cabadiangan Elementary School and three metal detectors and four CCTV cameras to Maasin Central School.
The Zamboanga Peninsula region logged key donations including six metal detectors across various campuses in SDO Dipolog City from individual benefactors and the Brgy. Estaka Council, alongside four CCTV units given to Mabini Elementary School in SDO Zamboanga Sibugay by the Aboitiz company.
In Iriga City, the Iriga Central School PTA raised PHP100,000 from a fundraising event to install 24 CCTV cameras with a monitoring system.
In SDO Catanduanes, Panganiban National High School acquired four CCTV units worth PHP32,000, while Magnesia National High School successfully installed four CCTV units funded through the Special Education Fund (SEF).
Similar security upgrades are rolling out in other regions to ensure emergency preparedness across public school divisions.
The local government of Binmaley, Pangasinan pledged to allocate metal detectors for all local schools, while Malolos City provided public schools with handheld metal detectors.
In Cebu City, plans are underway to seek funding through the Local School Board to purchase handheld metal detectors for public school security guards. Meanwhile, authorities in Cauayan City are actively studying metal detector implementation.
Schools are currently utilizing their Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) alongside these crucial LGU subsidies to sustain these localized safety initiatives.
