Manila: Senators on Monday rallied behind a broader approach to school safety that would enlist families, teachers, mental health professionals, community leaders, and even technology providers in preventing violence instead of relying mainly on guards, surveillance cameras, and emergency drills.
According to Philippines News Agency, the discussion followed the Department of Education's (DepEd) decision to defer its planned live-shooter attack drill amid concerns that highly realistic simulations could cause unintended psychological harm to students. Senate Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano proposed holding community town hall meetings in schools while the drill is being studied. These meetings aim to bring together parents, teachers, students, religious leaders, school officials, business groups, and other stakeholders to identify problems unique to each community. Cayetano emphasized the importance of understanding the underlying issues affecting students rather than assuming a uniform security threat across schools.
Senate President Win Gatchalian supported this approach, asserting that communities have a better understanding of the influences and challenges facing their children. He suggested that the Senate Committee on Basic Education could incorporate this proposal into its review of pending school safety measures.
Committee chair Sen. Bam Aquino, after visiting Ateneo de Zamboanga post the August 18 school shooting, reinforced the need to transcend conventional security measures. He noted the presence of 26 security guards at the school and reassessed the emphasis on additional personnel and surveillance in the proposed School Safety Act. Aquino advocated for school safety frameworks tailored to local conditions, defining roles for parents, student leaders, teachers, and community members in prevention and response efforts.
Sen. Risa Hontiveros highlighted recommendations by the Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA) and Philippine Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (PSCAP) for less potentially traumatic alternatives to realistic shooter simulations. She mentioned the proposal for a joint mental health task group composed of DepEd, DOH, and specialty groups to develop effective frameworks and programs that avoid causing additional harm to students. The groups also suggested alternatives like tabletop exercises and the involvement of school mental health professionals.
Sen. Joel Villanueva expanded the proposed response to encompass the digital environment, urging schools and families to address children's exposure to violent content online. He cited efforts by telecommunications and internet companies to block websites featuring school shooting footage and stressed that action beyond government intervention is necessary.
Aquino announced plans to sponsor the School Safety Act on Wednesday, citing recent shootings in Tacloban and Zamboanga as reasons to expedite legislative action. The discussion concluded with Gatchalian referring the senators' proposals to the committee on basic education for consideration alongside other measures addressing school violence and student safety.
