DepEd to launch school digital safety drive as campus violence rises

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) is preparing to launch a School Digital Safety CDampaign for students, teachers, and parents, following recent school shootings, which underscored the need for an approach to safety that goes beyond what happens inside the campus.

As authorities continue to investigate the incidents, including reported online activity in connection with the Banga National High School case, DepEd has started moving to strengthen awareness and prevention in the digital spaces where children increasingly learn and interact.

As a statement issued on Monday points out, DepEd has already been strengthening school safety by implementing measures such as installing CCTVs, metal detectors, and perimeter fencing. People and support systems include security guards, school counselor associates (SCAs), learner formation officers (LFOs), and child protection committees (CPCs).

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DepEd has also started to strengthen preparedness by conducting regular school safety and emergency response drills.

Gaining awareness of children’s digital lives

Now it’s adding another layer — digital safety.

“Keeping our children safe today means understanding that their world extends beyond the classroom and into their phones, games, group chats, and social media. We need to give children, parents, and teachers the knowledge and tools to navigate these spaces safely,” Education Secretary Sonny Angara said.

According to the DepEd statement, this initiative complements its revised K-to-10 curriculum, which integrates digital citizenship, netiquette, online safety, and responsible technology use across key subjects, such as Edukasyong Pantahanan at Pangkabuhayan (EPP)/Technology and Livelihood Education (TLE), Values Education, and Physical Education & Health, from grades 4 to 10.

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To ensure these lessons extend beyond classroom lectures, the School Digital Safety Campaign will translate curriculum concepts into simple, everyday practices that parents and teachers can easily apply together.

It will provide practical and age-appropriate guidance on the following:

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• safe chatting and online behavior
• grooming and online child exploitation
• cyberbullying and online harassment
• privacy, scams, and protecting personal information
• responsible social media use
• gaming and online safety
• exposure to violent or harmful online content
• healthy screen time and digital well-being
• warning signs, reporting, referral, and what to do when something happens

A key component of the campaign will be equipping parents to better understand their children’s digital lives.

Parents will receive practical guidance on how to talk to their children about what they see and experience online, recognize possible warning signs, set appropriate boundaries, and know when and where to seek help.

“Parents do not have to know every app or platform their children use. But they need to keep the lines of communication open. Our children should know that when something online scares them, pressures them, or makes them uncomfortable, they can tell a trusted adult and ask for help,” Angara said.

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Warning signs

The campaign will also train teachers and school personnel to recognize warning signs, respond appropriately, and understand the proper reporting and referral mechanisms.

To achieve the goals of the campaign, DepEd will work with the following agencies:

• Department of Information and Communications Technology
• Philippine National Police
• Department of Social Welfare and Development
• Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center
• Department of the Interior and Local Government
• Department of Health
• National Bureau of Investigation
• local government leagues
• relevant medical societies to develop practical materials, referral protocols, and training sessions for learners, teachers, and parents

As an immediate next step, DepEd will convene partner agencies and organizations to develop the campaign framework and materials

DepEd is calling on parents, teachers, school leaders, local governments, government agencies, and communities to take an active role in keeping children safe online.

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“We cannot leave our children to navigate the digital world on their own. Keeping them safe is a shared responsibility of the school, the home, government, and the community,” Angara said. /atm