Manila: The Department of Education (DepEd) on Tuesday announced its plan to implement a hybrid security framework aimed at enhancing school safety amidst a nationwide shortage of campus guards. This initiative seeks to form partnerships between school guards, barangay tanods, and police patrols to ensure the safety and well-being of students and teachers in basic education, following directives from President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr.

According to Philippines News Agency, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara emphasized the importance of shared responsibility through collaboration with law enforcement and local government units (LGUs). He stated, "Sa pamamagitan ng ating hybrid security model, katuwang natin ang ating mga komunidad at iba pang stakeholders para masiguro natin ang isang ligtas at maayos na kapaligiran para sa bawat paaralan (Through our hybrid security model, we are partnering with the community and other stakeholders to ensure a safe and orderly environment for each school)."

The proposed framework prioritizes the deployment of security guards to high-density campuses, while smaller schools will seek community support. Specifically, schools with fewer than 500 learners and those with 501 to 1,000 learners are proposed to have one security guard, supported during peak hours by barangay tanods and Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) volunteers. Schools with 1,001 to 3,300 learners will have two guards aided by LGU or barangay watchmen for perimeter control and PTA support for crowd and traffic management.

For very large campuses with 3,301 to 8,500 learners and extremely large campuses with over 8,501 learners, four security guards will be allocated. The Philippine National Police (PNP) will assist with mobile patrols, supported by LGU local security officers. Secretary Angara noted, "Alam natin ang limitasyon sa ating pondo, kaya hindi natin puwedeng iasa sa iilang security personnel lamang ang seguridad ng buong kampus (We know the limitations of our funds, that's why we cannot depend on a few personnel for the security of the entire campus)."

The agency plans to implement the hybrid framework in two phases, starting with large and extremely large campuses, followed by small and medium schools. Additionally, the framework aims to utilize upgraded surveillance tools across public schools, including closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, enhanced lighting, access control systems, and scanners.