DAVAO City is moving to strengthen the local School Safety Ordinance as part of a comprehensive strategy to boost security across public and private campuses following recent shooting incidents involving minors in the city.
Speaking at the Davao Peace and Security Press Corps media briefing at The Royal Mandaya Hotel on Wednesday, September 23, Councilor Luna Maria Dominique Acosta, chairperson of the Committee on Public Safety, outlined the city’s proactive "3 Ps" framework—Policies and Programs, Protection, and Psychological Support.
Under the Policies and Programs pillar, the city is working to standardize minimum safety protocols across all 438 public schools in Davao City.
The proposed measures are currently being calibrated at the committee level, particularly regarding the logistical capacity of each school to ensure effective implementation without overburdening smaller campuses.
The initiative aims to ensure uniform emergency sirens, signage, and response procedures for fires, earthquakes, and active shooter scenarios from downtown campuses to remote areas.
"Ang minimum safety protocols kasi will apply to each of these schools. So titingnan natin kung ano ba talaga ang kaya ng each school when it comes to the safety protocols, para hindi rin ma-burden 'yung mga maliliit na schools (The minimum safety protocols will apply to each of these schools. So we will see what each school can handle regarding safety protocols so that smaller schools are not burdened)," Acosta said.
To sustain these measures, the City Council previously passed a resolution requesting the national Department of Education (DepEd) to increase its budget allocation for school safety, easing the financial load on local government units.
Data provided by DepEd and the Public Safety and Security Office (PSSO) revealed that while 93 percent of the city's 438 public schools are fully gated or fenced, only 73 percent have assigned security guards or Civil Security Unit (CSU) personnel.
Furthermore, only 39 percent have functional CCTV systems, and 35 percent possess metal detectors.
Protection
The local government is eyeing funds to procure metal detectors and improve physical barriers and CCTV systems.
Security presence around schools is also being intensified through coordinated efforts between the Davao City Police Office (DCPO), Task Force Davao, auxiliary forces, and local barangay tanods.
When asked about proposals for the municipal procurement of transparent bags, Acosta clarified that clear bags remain a lower priority compared to critical security infrastructure and equipment.
"The bag is just a precautionary Band-Aid measure. It's not gonna solve all the problems for school safety. We would rather use the funds for long-term infrastructure projects (Ang bag ay isang pansamantalang panakip-butas lamang. Hindi nito malulutas ang lahat ng problema sa kaligtasan sa paaralan. Mas nais nating gamitin ang pondo para sa mga pangmatagalang proyektong imprastraktura)," Acosta noted.
Regarding emergency readiness, Acosta noted that authorities must balance their positive and negative effects since repetitive, realistic simulations can also cause unnecessary anxiety among young learners.
"Even if you drill the students na balik-balik, they are still really just minors; they're kids looking for guidance sa mga staff and sa mga teachers (Even if you drill students repeatedly, they are still really just minors; they are kids looking for guidance from staff and teachers),” she said.
Psychological support
City leaders underscored that long-term prevention relies on mental health care and early intervention rather than physical barriers alone.
To implement this, the city is coordinating with DepEd, the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO), and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD).
Acosta reported that DepEd is opening 10,000 mental health positions nationwide to deploy guidance counselors, while CSWDO and DSWD are opening helplines and scheduling free sessions with mental health professionals for local students.
In addition, the city is activating and re-skilling Sangguniang Kabataan (SK) volunteers across barangay teen centers to provide peer counseling and spot early behavioral red flags.
While rejecting calls to criminalize parents of offending minors under existing laws, officials reiterated that the city’s policy focus will remain squarely on proactive prevention and student well-being.
Nevertheless, the councilor appealed directly to firearm owners to take personal responsibility in securing their weapons, pointing to a pattern in recent school shooting cases where minors accessed guns belonging to family members.
"The government is here just to help, but it's really... we're asking the parents to please help us (The government is just here to help. We are asking the parents to please help us)," Acosta concluded. GRS
