SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES — The Senate Committee on Basic Education has advanced discussions on the proposed School Safety Act following a series of violent incidents in schools across the country.
The measure, led by Committee Chairperson Senator Bam Aquino, aims to establish a comprehensive school safety framework by strengthening campus security, improving emergency response protocols, and expanding access to mental health services.
All this through enhanced coordination among schools, local governments, law enforcement agencies, parents, and communities.
The hearing came after recent cases of school violence—including a shooting in Tacloban City and stabbing incidents in Cavite—prompting lawmakers to review whether existing laws are sufficient to protect students.
Aquino stressed that ensuring school safety is a shared responsibility, saying it requires the participation not only of the Department of Education (DepEd) and schools but also of parents, communities, and the public.
The Senate also discussed recommendations from the Second Congressional Commission on Education, or EDCOM 2, including requiring annual School Safety Plans, strengthening early intervention systems for at-risk learners, integrating social-emotional learning and digital safety into the curriculum, and providing trauma-informed mental health support after critical incidents.
Lawmakers likewise reviewed the implementation of the Basic Education Mental Health and Well-Being Promotion Act, which allocates two billion pesos this year for the hiring of 10,000 School Counselor Associates.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian emphasized the need to deploy guidance personnel in highly congested schools, where studies show incidents of violence are more common.
Meanwhile, the Department of Education said it has shortened the hiring process for School Counselor Associates from three months to a maximum of 35 days, with the goal of deploying all 10,000 personnel to schools nationwide by September.
The proposed School Safety Act seeks to shift the country’s approach from responding to school violence to preventing it through a coordinated national framework supported by localized school safety plans. — Psalm Perez, Contributor