* Nearly 100 scouts attended a safety seminar on active shooting scenarios conducted by Ateneo de Cebu scouts and Mandaue City SWAT personnel on July 25, 2026.
* The training was initiated following the June 22, 2026 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City that left three dead and 13 injured.
* SWAT instructors taught students key response actions—run, hide, and fight—expecting the participating scouts to serve as force multipliers and share the knowledge with schoolmates.
MORE than a month after the deadly shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on June 22, 2026, which claimed three lives and injured 13 others, fear over the incident continues to linger.
In response, the Sacred Heart School–Ateneo de Cebu Junior High School Boy Scouts of the Philippines Scouting Unit, in partnership with the Special Weapons and Tactics (Swat) unit of the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), conducted a safety training seminar titled “Scouts for Safety: Seminar on the Do’s and Don’ts During School Active Shooting Scenario” on Saturday, July 25.
Nearly 100 scouts from various schools in Mandaue City and Cebu City, from Grades 7 to 10, participated in the seminar, which was spearheaded by Patricia Louise Pelare, leader of the Ateneo de
Cebu Scouts.
Pelare said she initiated the activity after recognizing the importance of ensuring that students know how to respond in case an active shooting incident occurs in their schools.
During the seminar, Swat personnel taught the participants how to respond to such situations, emphasizing three key actions during an active shooter situation: run, hide, and, as a last resort when there is no other option, fight back.
Appropriate response
MCPO personnel who conducted the training observed that the students quickly understood the lessons and expressed hope that the program could also be implemented in other schools in Mandaue City.
Corporal Zigfred Yorpo of the Mandaue Swat unit, one of the seminar instructors, said they provided the students with basic knowledge on how to respond during an active shooter incident.
“Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts serve as force multipliers in schools. As force multipliers, we expect them to share what they have learned with their fellow students and younger schoolmates,” Yorpo said.
The activity was warmly received by participating schools, which viewed it as an important initiative to equip students with practical knowledge on how to respond during emergencies.
Scouts from Mabolo National High School expressed their gratitude for the seminar, saying it was a great help in preparing them to respond appropriately if faced with a similar situation. / AYB
