School safety bill advances in Senate
MANILA, Philippines — A bill seeking to strengthen school safety and security is one step closer to becoming a law as the measure was brought up to the Senate floor on Wednesday.
In light of the recent incidents of deaths involving students, basic education committee chairperson Sen. Bam Aquino sponsored Senate Bill No. 2426 or the Comprehensive School Safety Act and pushed for the immediate approval of the measure.
During his sponsorship speech, Aquino recited the names of the students who recently lost their lives.
“Sana po, ‘di na po dumami ang listahan ng mga pangalan ng mga batang nawala sa kanilang pamilya at sa kanilang kaibigan. Para po sa kanila ang panukalang ito,” the senator said.
(I hope the list of names of children who have been taken from their families and friends will no longer grow. This proposed measure is for them.)
Aquino likewise lamented the two fatal school shooting incidents in the country, including the one in Tacloban City last June and the more recent one in Zamboanga City this month.
“Hindi ho natin pwedeng tanggapin na bahagi na lamang ito ng normal na buhay sa paaralan. Hindi natin maaaring hintayin ang susunod na insidente bago po tayo kumilos,” he added.
(We cannot accept that this has become a normal part of school life. We cannot wait for the next incident to happen before we act)
The measure is a consolidation of proposals seeking to strengthen anti-bullying protections, regulate the use of mobile devices in schools, promote responsible social media use and digital literacy.
It also seeks to expand mental health and child protection services, improve school-based counseling, establish school safety and risk-prevention systems, and institutionalize a comprehensive framework for the safety and well-being of learners and school personnel.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian along with Sens. Mark Villar, Bong Go, Joel Villanueva, Raffy Tulfo, Erwin Tulfo, JV Ejercito, Migz Zubiri, Kiko Pangilinan, Risa Hontiveros, and Robin Padilla co-sponsored the said measure.
Once the bill becomes law, schools will be required to establish a comprehensive school safety framework and localized school safety plans that outlines clear guidelines on prevention, emergency response, and recovery.
The measure also sets standards for school safety infrastructure and security, including use of closed-circuit television systems (CCTVs), visitor management, and mandatory screening and inspection when warranted.
It also proposes a whole-of-community approach where teachers, parents, and other authorities come together to monitor students’ safety in and out of school. /gsg
