Education Secretary Sonny Angara reinforced the Department of Education’s (DepEd) commitment to providing a safe and nurturing environment as face-to-face classes officially resumed at San Jose National High School (SJNHS) in Tacloban City on Monday.
The resumption follows the tragic campus incident last June 22, prompting immediate, comprehensive recovery and safety measures.
Secretary Angara underscored the balance between academic continuity and holistic healing, noting that the department will not rush the emotional recovery of those affected.
“Fulfilling President Bongbong Marcos’s directive, our immediate priority is to wrap our learners and teachers in a blanket of security and psychosocial care, recognizing that true learning cannot genuinely resume where fear remains,” Angara said.
“By offering flexible learning pathways alongside a heavily fortified environment, we are giving our traumatized learners the grace, time, and space they need to heal without being left behind academically,” he added.
Angara immediately visited the victims and their families, affected teachers and school personnel, while also meeting with local authorities to coordinate a unified response.
This return aligns with DepEd’s nationwide School Safety Campaign, an urgent initiative driven by Angara to upgrade campus security and learner protection mechanisms across the country.
As part of this comprehensive campaign, the education chief ordered school safety audits to assess and fortify structural vulnerabilities.
To accommodate heavily affected and traumatized learners at SJNHS, DepEd has expanded flexible learning options alongside the return to physical classrooms to ensure educational continuity without compounding their distress.
“President Bongbong Marcos has been very clear that our schools must be sanctuaries, not places of anxiety, which is why we are systematic in our approach—combining strict infrastructure audits with compassionate learner protection,” Angara added.
Extensive security upgrades have also been completed on-site, including the installation of additional CCTV cameras, walk-through metal detectors, perimeter fencing, and heightened police visibility.
The school also completed thorough clean-up and repainting efforts to restore the campus environment. Furthermore, the classroom involved in the incident has been repurposed into an office, ensuring it will no longer function as a learning space.
In addition to physical security, DepEd, in collaboration with local authorities and partner organizations, has significantly strengthened mental health and learner protection systems by institutionalizing sustained Psychological First Aid, counseling, and confidential reporting channels for learner safety.
A special uplifting program featuring guest performers was sponsored by the City Government of Tacloban, under the leadership of Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez, to offer comfort and encouragement to learners and school personnel on their first day back.
Through these concerted efforts, the entire education community remains steadfast in walking together on a path toward long-term recovery, resilience, and hope.
DepEd emphasized that school safety remains a shared responsibility, urging the public to exercise compassion and avoid spreading misinformation as the community moves toward healing.
