(DC file photo)
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered government agencies to tighten security in schools and strengthen early intervention measures to prevent violence involving students.
Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Tuesday that the President wants teachers and school personnel trained by psychologists and psychiatrists to identify behavioral warning signs among learners.
“Ang utos ng Pangulo, unang-una po, kailangan ang mga teachers, ang mga teaching personnel, sila po ay mabigyan ng kaalaman through a psychologist, psychiatrist para malaman kung ang isang bata ba ay may senyales na,” Castro said during a press briefing in Cagayan de Oro.
Marcos also called for stronger coordination among teachers, parents, barangay officials, and social workers to identify potential risks and address behavioral concerns before they escalate into violence.
Castro said barangay officials and tanods should increase their presence around school premises to improve security and monitor possible threats.
The directive followed two separate incidents involving minors in Mindanao.
On October 22, a 12-year-old student was allegedly found carrying a firearm near an elementary school in Misamis Oriental.
Two days later, a 13-year-old student allegedly stabbed an 11-year-old schoolmate in Davao City.
Amid these incidents, Castro said the Department of Education (DepEd) has proposed a Php 500-million allocation under the 2027 national budget to enhance school security through additional personnel, improved facilities, and learner protection programs.
DepEd currently has 45,994 learner formation officers assigned nationwide, while 36,713 schools have designated personnel handling values formation, discipline, student engagement, and early intervention for learners facing social, emotional, or behavioral difficulties.
Meanwhile, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is intensifying efforts to help parents and teachers recognize behavioral changes and signs of emotional distress among children.
Through its social workers, the agency is also promoting parental awareness of potential risks involving children who spend prolonged periods alone or engage in potentially harmful online activities.
Castro emphasized that the administration’s approach focuses on prevention through improved awareness, closer monitoring, and coordinated intervention.
“So, maraming interventions ngayon ang DSWD at DepEd. At iyon nga po ang utos ng Pangulo, kailangan na mas mabigyan pa ng sapat na kaalaman ang mga teachers at teaching personnel para mas magabayan nila ang mga estudyante sa school,” she said.
