Only a fraction of public schools in the country have security guards and surveillance cameras, the Department of Education told senators on Thursday during a hearing on proposed legislation to strengthen campus safety.
Education Undersecretary Malcolm Garma said only 31.7 percent of public schools, or 15,328 schools nationwide, have security guards.
He also said only four in 10 public schools have closed-circuit television systems, with most of those schools having fewer than 10 cameras to cover their campuses.
The figures were presented to the Senate committee on basic education as lawmakers discussed the proposed School Safety Act, which gained urgency after the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City.
The attack, allegedly carried out by two teenagers, left three high school students dead and 20 others injured.
Garma said only eight CCTV cameras were working at the Tacloban school on the day of the shooting, leaving some areas with blind spots. He also said two security guards were posted at the gate, but no other guards were assigned inside the campus.
He said the suspects may have entered unchecked because they were familiar to the guards, while bag inspections at the gate were conducted only at random to avoid long lines.
Sen. Bam Aquino, author of the measure, said the Tacloban shooting should serve as a call to strengthen school security, emergency response systems, mental health support and community involvement, stressing that campuses must be safe for both students and teachers.
