EDUCATION Secretary Sonny Angara said his department will launch active shooter drills on Friday to prepare students and school staff for the possibility of an armed intruder entering their building.
The move follows the fatal June 22 shooting at the San Jose National High School (SJNHS) in Tacloban City, as well as shooting threats in several other schools in other regions.
Classes have resumed in SJNHS, where two students, ages 14 and 15, went on a shooting spree that killed three students and injured 20 others.
Angara did not specify which schools would hold shooter drills, or who would conduct them.
The Department of Education (DepEd), in a statement issued on July 6, said extensive security improvements “have been completed on-site.” These included the installation of more closed-circuit television cameras, “walk-through metal detectors, perimeter fencing and heightened police visibility.”
The DepEd said the return to face-to-face classes aligned with the department’s School Safety Campaign to improve campus security and learner protection mechanisms nationwide. As part of the campaign, Angara had ordered the assessment of vulnerabilities and measures to address these.
In a statement issued on June 29, the DepEd said its senior officials “conducted parallel school inspections and localized evaluations” across regions.
It said in the June 29 statement that it “mobilized an urgent nationwide School Safety Campaign involving tighter screening, comprehensive safety audits and psychosocial support mechanisms” after incidents of violence in schools.
It also said its field offices, local government units (LGUs) and local stakeholders “have mobilized to fortify public school perimeters and entryways.” The DepEd also said schools were using their Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses, and LGU subsidies to sustain safety initiatives.
