The Province of Cebu, led by Governor Pamela S. Baricuatro, mobilized key government agencies, education officials, school leaders, parents, and community stakeholders for the Unified Action Against School Violence held at the Capitol Social Hall on September 29, 2026, translating the national call for safer schools into concrete and coordinated action.

The activity was conducted in collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine National Police (PNP), Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), together with the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) and other education and community partners.

A major highlight of the activity was the ceremonial turnover of 600 metal detectors to different schools across Cebu Province, providing an additional layer of security to help prevent weapons and other dangerous objects from entering school premises.

The initiative forms part of the Province’s implementation of Executive Order No. 35, issued by Governor Baricuatro on June 25, 2026, establishing the Cebu Safe Schools Program, which seeks to strengthen school security, prevent violence and bullying, improve emergency preparedness, and provide appropriate mental health and psychosocial support to learners.

The provincial initiative complements the Safer School Zones program of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) under Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla, which calls on local government units, barangays, schools, law enforcement agencies, and other stakeholders to work together in addressing security risks, traffic hazards, fire and disaster risks, and other threats in and around school communities. The initiative is part of the DILG’s broader Safer Cities and Safer Communities approach to public safety and child protection.

During the program, the Cebu Police Provincial Office (CPPO) led by Provincial Director PCol. Abubakar Udang Mangelen Jr., presented its School Defense System: A Whole-of-Community Approach to Safe Learning Environments, emphasizing that school safety requires proactive threat prevention, coordinated response, and sustained cooperation among schools, law enforcement agencies, government institutions, parents, and communities.

The CPPO presentation cited 22 school-related incidents and online threats recorded in Cebu Province, with 11 cases turned over to the Department of Social Welfare and Development and two cases filed in court. The remaining incidents involved dummy accounts, some of which were identified, while the concerned schools opted for intervention measures rather than legal action. The identified motives included bullying, attempts to cause class disruptions or cancellation of school activities and examinations, pranks, and personal grudges.

At the core of the CPPO’s proposed School Defense System is the five-pillar framework of Predict, Prevent, Prepare, Perform, and Post-Action and Assessment, designed to promote early identification of threats, active risk reduction, comprehensive security planning, coordinated emergency response, and post-incident review and recovery.

The presentation also highlighted “BAYANIHAN” as the core principle of the framework, building strong school-community partnerships, increasing awareness of threats and risks, protecting and empowering the youth, taking action-oriented preventive measures, strengthening networked coordination, adopting intelligence-led security measures, harmonizing emergency response, promoting accountability, and nurturing a safe learning environment.

An important component of the preparedness and response framework is the Unified 911 Emergency Hotline, which provides a single nationwide number for emergency assistance. Secretary Remulla has urged schools and parents to teach children how to use 911 and familiarize themselves with established emergency-response protocols. He cited the rapid response during a recent incident in Tacloban, where a teacher called 911 and responders arrived within minutes, as an example of the system working in an emergency.

The DILG has likewise urged the public to immediately report threats or discussions involving planned violence through 911, emphasizing that information concerning possible school violence should be reported promptly so authorities can assess and respond appropriately.

The initiative comes amid the national government’s call for stronger measures to prevent and respond to school violence. President Ferdinand Romualdez Marcos Jr. described recent school shooting incidents in Tacloban, Zamboanga, and South Cotabato as “hindi katanggap-tanggap,” stressing the need for government to work closely with teachers, parents, barangay workers, and other stakeholders to make schools safer.

Governor Baricuatro emphasized that the Province of Cebu has heeded the call of the President and is choosing to act proactively rather than wait for an actual tragedy before putting additional safety measures in place. “We do not want to wait for actual incidents to happen in Cebu before we act,” Governor Baricuatro said, emphasizing the importance of recognizing and addressing risks before they become emergencies.

She acknowledged that metal detectors alone cannot guarantee the safety of students, but stressed that they provide an important additional layer of protection when combined with police visibility, proper campus security, early identification of warning signs, established protocols, emergency preparedness, and close coordination among schools, government agencies, parents, and communities.

The Governor likewise underscored the importance of inter-agency coordination, noting that protecting children is a shared responsibility that requires the active participation of national government agencies, local government units, school authorities, parents, barangay officials, students, and the wider community.