Education Secretary Sonny Angara on Tuesday unveiled a hybrid security model for public schools that will deploy security guards alongside village watchmen, police patrols, and upgraded surveillance systems to address manpower shortages.
In a statement, the Department of Education (DepEd) said the framework seeks to address security guard shortages by allocating guards according to a school’s enrollment and security requirements.
Earlier, DepEd Undersecretary for Governance and Operations Malcolm Garma shared the data before the Senate basic education committee, saying only three in 10 schools have security guards.
‘We are aware of the limitations of our funds, so we cannot rely solely on a few security personnel for the security of the entire campus,’ Angara said in Filipino.
‘Through our hybrid security model, we are partnering with our communities and other stakeholders to ensure a safe and orderly environment for every school,’ he added.
Under the proposed framework, DepEd will prioritize assigning security guards to campuses with larger student populations while relying on community support mechanisms for smaller schools.
DepEd said schools with fewer than 500 learners and those with 501 to 1,000 learners would each be assigned one security guard, with village watchmen providing support during arrival and dismissal periods.
Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) volunteers may also assist with gate duties.
Campuses with 1,001 to 3,300 learners would receive two security guards, supplemented by the local government and village watchmen for perimeter security and PTA teams for crowd and traffic management.
Large schools with 3,301 to 8,500 learners and larger campuses with at least 8,501 learners would be assigned four security guards, with support from Philippine National Police mobile patrols and LGU security officers.
DepEd plans to implement the framework in two phases, beginning with large campuses before expanding the program to small and medium schools.
The department will also boost physical security through investments in surveillance and access-control systems, including CCTV cameras, improved lighting, access control equipment, and scanners.
On Monday, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said the government may need at least P20 billion to equip schools nationwide with world-class closed-circuit television systems.