MANILA – The Department of Education (DepEd) on Wednesday partnered with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for the deployment of barangay tanods (village watchmen) to help ensure school safety nationwide.
The DepEd signed a joint memorandum circular (JMC) with the DILG for a joint school safety audit and drill at the Bangkal High School in Makati, amid the observance of the National School Safety Week.
In a statement, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said this partnership is crucial as the agency seeks to boost its school security efforts following school violence incidents in parts of the country.
“Alam natin na ang presensya ng mga security personnel sa isang lugar ay nagbibigay ng dagdag na kapanatagan at seguridad (We know that the presence of security personnel in an area provides assurance and security),” Angara said.
“At malaking tulong ito, lalo’t alam nating kulang ang ating mga paaralan sa mga security guard, kaya malaking bagay ang suporta ng ating mga lokal na pamahalaan at barangay (This is a huge help, we know that our schools lack security guards, that’s why the support of our local government and barangay is a huge thing for us).”
Under the JMC, coordination between schools and barangays will be in place to determine the actual requests and deployment.
Barangay tanods will not replace school authorities or law enforcement but will function as supportive partners.
The conduct of orientations in alignment with child protection, learner rights, and school safety is also assured for the deployment of barangay personnel.
The DepEd, meanwhile, continues to roll out age-appropriate and trauma-informed school safety drills nationwide following its launch on Sept. 3.
In November, the agency said all public schools will conduct monthly safety drills, with a focus on distinct threats based on local risk assessments.
Earlier, the DepEd updated guidelines on safety drills, requiring schools to adopt a continuous improvement cycle of assessing risks, drilling selected emergency scenarios, evaluating observed gaps, and implementing corrective actions. (PNA)
