DILG gives Youth Heroism Award to Tacloban shooting victim Chris Fabian

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) posthumously honored Chris Lorenz Fabian, the 15-year-old scout who died in the Tacloban City school shooting last June, for blocking the perpetrators from entering a classroom.

In a statement on Tuesday, the DILG said Secretary Jonvic Remulla, through Eastern Visayas regional office director Arnel Agabe, conferred the Youth Heroism Award on Fabian through his parents and grandfather in a ceremony.

The department said at least 30 of Fabian’s fellow students were saved by his act.

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READ: Tacloban declares school shooting victim Chris Fabian as ‘Young Hero’

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“The grief felt by Tacloban City and the nation over the untimely passing of Fabian and the other victims of the school shooting must also strengthen the resolve of [the] government and communities to improve policies and measures that protect children in schools,” Remulla said in the statement.

“To help ensure that no other family endures the same heartbreak… the DILG is actively overseeing LGUs in institutionalizing strict campus safety protocols, enhancing police visibility around academic zones, and empowering communities to recognize and intercept threats early,” he added.

The DILG noted that the award was also issued by its attached agency, the National Youth Commission (NYC).

Fabian and two other students were killed during the Tacloban shooting.

The Tacloban shooting, as well as a similar case in which two students died at Ateneo de Zamboanga University this August, prompted Remulla and the Philippine National Police to amp up security measures around schools and coordination with the Department of Education. /mcm