DepEd backs school safety bill amid shootings

This file photo shows a facade of the Department of Education.

STAR / File

MANILA, Philippines —  Amid recent shooting incidents and other security concerns in schools, Education Secretary Sonny Angara yesterday expressed his support for the passage of the Comprehensive School Safety Act that gives priority to school safety and well-being of learners.

The Department of Education (DepEd) said Angara showed his support to Sen. Bam Aquino at the Senate on Wednesday as the senator proposed the Comprehensive School Safety Act.

The bill seeks to institutionalize DepEd’s ongoing learner protection initiatives into permanent law, ensuring that critical safety protocols remain funded and sustained.

The legislative push follows nationwide concerns after shooting incidents at the San Jose National High School in Tacloban and the Ateneo de Zamboanga University.

The proposed Comprehensive School Safety Act establishes a three-pillar framework: prevention, response and recovery.

Under prevention, the bill mandates risk identification and safety training for parents, teachers and student leaders.

Response outlines emergency protocols, communication networks, active attack safety drills and coordination with authorities.

The recovery phase ensures psychosocial support, trauma-informed care and structured return-to-school plans.

The DepEd is expediting the recruitment of 10,000 school counselor associates nationwide, aiming to deploy them by year-end.

La Salle security

A student’s message on an online group chat with fellow students that he is a shooter disrupted classes at La Salle Greenhills in Mandaluyong City yesterday.

In a Facebook post, the school aid classes from preschool to Grade 12, including International Baccalaureate and Alternative Education programs, were conducted online as a precautionary measure. – Emmanuel Tupas