The Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacolod City has approved two resolutions calling for stronger measures to protect students, teachers, school personnel, and visitors in public and private educational institutions throughout the city following recent school shooting incidents in other parts of the country.
Both resolutions were authored by Councilor Caesar Distrito, a press release from his office said Thursday, August 20.
The first resolution urges the Bacolod City Police Office (BCPO), Department of Education – Schools Division of Bacolod City, Commission on Higher Education, concerned barangays, and all public and private educational institutions to strengthen the implementation and enforcement of gun-free school zones, consistent with Republic Act No. 10591 or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act and other applicable laws and regulations.
The second resolution calls for an immediate and comprehensive assessment of campus security, access control, and emergency response protocols in all educational institutions in Bacolod City.
The assessment is encouraged to cover entry and exit controls, visitor identification and management, deployment of security personnel, CCTV systems, emergency communication and alarm systems, perimeter security, measures to detect and prevent the entry of firearms and other deadly weapons, evacuation and lockdown procedures, and coordination with police and emergency responders.
Distrito said the measures were prompted by the tragic August 18 shooting at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University Junior High School campus, as well as another fatal school shooting in Tacloban City less than two months earlier, which underscored the need for communities across the country to review and strengthen school security measures.
“We should not wait for a similar tragedy to happen in Bacolod before we act. Our schools must remain places where our children can learn, grow, and pursue their dreams without fear for their safety,” he said.
“These resolutions are preventive measures intended to strengthen coordination among our schools, police, barangays, emergency responders, parents, and the entire community,” Distrito said.
Distrito stressed that improving school security does not mean creating an atmosphere of fear inside campuses, but rather ensuring that reasonable safeguards are in place and that schools and authorities are prepared to respond effectively to emergencies.
The resolutions recognize school security as a shared responsibility among educational institutions, law-enforcement agencies, barangays, local government, parents, and the community, Distrito said.*
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