THE Department of Education-Davao Region (DepEd-Davao) presented its latest school security deployment status during the Third Quarter Full Council Meeting of the Regional Peace and Order Council (RPOC) XI, highlighting ongoing efforts to strengthen safety measures across schools in the region.
DepEd-Davao Regional Director Maria Ines C. Asuncion reported that the assessment was conducted to evaluate how effectively schools are protecting learners, personnel, and school property. She said the regional office’s school security audit covered 99.59 percent of both public and private schools in Davao Region.
DepEd-Davao currently serves 1,317,420 learners and 56,701 personnel across 2,703 schools, consisting of 2,233 public schools and 470 private schools.
Based on the audit, 77.86 percent of schools have security guards, while 97.57 percent are equipped with perimeter fencing. Other security measures remain unevenly implemented, with 48.61 percent having public address systems, 49.23 percent with metal detectors, 47.95 percent with closed-circuit television (CCTV) systems, and 33.46 percent reporting police visibility in their areas.
Among public schools, 2,230 or 99.87 percent submitted security deployment reports. The data showed that 93 percent have perimeter fences, 73 percent have security guards, 44 percent have public address systems, 39 percent have CCTV cameras, 35 percent have metal detectors, and 28 percent reported police presence.
Asuncion said the results show that while basic physical security measures are already in place in many schools, there is still a need to strengthen existing systems.
She emphasized the importance of improving surveillance systems, emergency communication facilities, and coordination with law enforcement agencies to further ensure the safety of learners, teachers, and school property.
DepEd-Davao said the initiative is part of its continued coordination with peace and order partners to maintain safe and secure learning environments across the region. PR
