KRISTINE CATAMORA & ANGEL NONOL | DSSC Interns
THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) XI has appealed for Davao City’s support to strengthen school safety programs, as part of the continuing efforts to protect learners both inside and outside campuses.
During her courtesy visit to the City Council on Tuesday, July 7, DepEd XI regional director Dr. Maria Ines C. Asuncion asked for continued partnership in strengthening and upgrading infrastructure, expanding digital connectivity, and enhancing disaster resilience.
She said these efforts would help build classrooms that nurture excellence and communities for a better future for every learner.
“Please allow me to amplify our request to the city government of Davao to secure our learners while inside and outside [the campus], and ensure every learner reaches their respective home safe and sound. Please help us keep our student campuses safe for better learning outcomes and a brighter future,” she said.
Asuncion said the Safe School Program has already been implemented across schools in the region, with school heads allocating budget to purchase metal detectors.
Local government units have also been requested to provide security guards for schools, on top of coordination efforts with officials to strengthen learner safety beyond the classroom.
“I talked to the superintendent and councilors during the city office [session] and other council [meetings], and the Regional Peace and Order Council, requesting reinforcement so that our security forces and even households can monitor the journey of our learners from home to school and vice versa,” she said.
Asked about the extent of local government support in funding additional security personnel across the Davao Region, Asuncion said superintendents have committed to sponsoring or requesting their respective local government units to allocate funding for whatever the students’ safety needs may be, noting that security personnel are already being deployed in some areas.
Asuncion’s appeal comes as DepEd Region XI continues to push for stronger collaboration between schools, local government units, and the community to ensure learners’ safety on their daily commute to and from school.
The renewed call for stronger school safety measures comes in the wake of the fatal shooting at a school in Tacloban City, which raised concerns over campus security and learner protection and prompted renewed discussions on strengthening school security across the country.
