The urgent passage of the Comprehensive School Safety Act is needed to address urgent school safety concerns and strengthen security measures following school shooting incidents in the cities of Tacloban and Zamboanga, according to Senator Bam Aquino.
In a manifestation, Aquino rallied his colleagues to support the swift passage of Senate Bill No. 2390, or the Comprehensive School Safety Act, which seeks to put in place vital safeguards to ensure safer schools.
‘There’s really a lot that must be done and I’m hoping we can get support for the School Safety Act. Let’s put there everything that’s needed, and the good points, and let’s push those,’ said Aquino, chairperson of the Committee on Basic Education, speaking partly in Filipino.
Aquino said he intends to sponsor the measure on Wednesday.
The measure establishes a School Safety Framework that would begin at the national level but require every locality to develop a clear framework involving the schools, concerned government agencies, and the community.
‘Maganda nga na magsimula tayo to address this as a community, mapag-usapan, mabuo itong framework na ito, malaman iyong mga protocol at maging mas klaro sa bawat sektor ng komunidad kung ano po yung role nila,’ he emphasized.
It also aims to strengthen the prevention, reporting, and response to violence, bullying, cyberbullying, and other threats, while ensuring that schools remain safe spaces for learners and school personnel.
Every school would be required to prepare and annually update a School Safety Plan covering emergency protocols, hotlines, safety infrastructure, digital safety, off-campus activities, community engagement, and monitoring.
Aside from the School Safety Act, Aquino cited other measures outside the scope of the Committee on Basic Education that are crucial to protecting students, teachers, and other school personnel from violence and other threats.
Among them are proposals to restrict social media access based on age, impose stiffer penalties for loose firearms, hold parents or guardians accountable when their firearms are misused, as well as amendments to the Anti-Online Sexual Abuse or Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) law.
Aquino said these measures, together with the School Safety Act, should be fast-tracked to address the various factors contributing to threats against learners and school communities.
‘It takes a community to raise a child, it also takes multiple bills and multiple reforms to try to address this issue. Aksiyunan natin, ipasa natin ang mga panukalang ito,’ Aquino said.
Aside from physical security measures, Aquino likewise underscored the importance of community participation following his dialogue with students, parents, and officials of Ateneo de Zamboanga University (AdZU).
‘Having gone through and talked to the Ateneo de Zamboanga community, iyong administration, iyong mga estudyante, iyong mga magulang, nakikita ko po rin yung point ni [Senate Minority] Sen. Alan [Cayetano]. It’s not just about the security measures, talaga nagsisimula talaga ito with a community aspect,’ he said.
Cayetano earlier proposed holding community town hall meetings in schools, where parents, teachers, students, religious leaders, school officials, business groups, and other stakeholders can identify problems unique to each community and work together to find solutions.
Aquino said parents have a particularly important role in preventing incidents of violence by being more attentive to what their children are experiencing and encountering.
He likewise encouraged parents to use parental controls on their children’s devices to prevent them from accessing violent games and other content that are not intended for children.