SAFETY FIRST | Mayor Edwin L. Olivarez leads the launching of walkthrough metal detectors at the Parañaque National High School (PNHS) main campus in Brgy. San Dionisio on Friday. Mayor Olivarez was joined by PNHS principal Dr. Eduardo Taguiam, Brgy. San Dionisio Chairwoman Eva Olivarez, and other school officials. The metal detectors form part of a comprehensive security measure ordered by Mayor Olivarez to ensure the safety of students and teachers amid incidents of stabbing and active shooting in schools in different parts of the country.
The morning rush into school is changing for students at several Parañaque public high schools. As part of a wider safety push, the city has begun placing walk-through metal detectors at campus entrances.
Mayor Edwin Olivarez formally launched the program Friday at Don Bosco Elementary School and Parañaque National High School’s main campus. The move follows school shootings and stabbings reported elsewhere in the country.
Sixteen detectors have been installed at public high schools so far, including three at Parañaque National High School’s main campus. The devices supplement CCTV cameras, school guards and the city’s Civil Security Unit personnel.
“We need to make sure our children are always safe,” Olivarez said in Filipino, describing the detectors as an added layer of security.
The rollout is set to expand in October and November. Parañaque Local School Board head Dolly Villar said the next batch will include two detectors for high schools and seven for elementary schools. The city’s goal is to equip all 45 public elementary and high school campuses by next year.
Olivarez said the plan is about protecting the city’s 97,797 students, each of whom has a life and future beyond the enrollment figures. He urged private schools to consider installing detectors as well, saying threats to student safety are not confined to public campuses.
