TACLOBAN CITY – Citing the need to better protect learners following the recent fatal school shooting in Tacloban City, the provincial government of Northern Samar is intensifying efforts to strengthen child protection by adopting a whole-of-society approach that brings together schools, parents, local government units, law enforcement agencies, and communities to ensure safer learning environments.

During the Provincial School Board Meeting on June 30, Vice Governor Clarence Dato, representing Governor Harris Ongchuan, stressed the importance of strengthening early identification and intervention mechanisms for learners, particularly those showing signs of emotional or behavioral distress.

The initiative comes in the wake of the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, which claimed the lives of three students and injured 20 others, prompting local governments to reassess school safety and mental health programs.
Dato emphasized that schools and frontline government workers must be equipped to recognize warning signs among learners before these develop into more serious problems.

Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer Jenny Darish expressed support for the initiative, committing to work closely with the Department of Education (DepEd) in establishing a structured system for the early identification, assessment, and referral of children considered at risk.

The proposed program includes training teachers to recognize behavioral and emotional indicators, while strengthening referral mechanisms among schools, local government units, barangay Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) desks, and social welfare offices to ensure timely intervention and appropriate support services.

DepEd Northern Samar Schools Division Superintendent Gaudencio Aljibe Jr. presented the division’s existing learner protection initiatives, highlighting DepEd Order No. 006, Series of 2026, which reinforces visitor management protocols, school security measures, psychosocial services, and contingency planning.

He also cited Division Memorandum Nos. 235 and 191, Series of 2026, which seek to strengthen child protection policies, promote positive relationships between teachers and parents, intensify anti-bullying campaigns, and foster safe and supportive learning environments.

Aljibe said the division continues to provide counseling and psychosocial interventions for learners while partnering with the University of Eastern Philippines to enhance the capacity of non-teaching personnel in guidance counseling and mental health support.

Meanwhile, the Northern Samar Police Provincial Office (NSPPO) called for stronger parental supervision to discourage minors from driving motorcycles, citing the increasing number of road accidents involving children and adolescents.

The provincial police also proposed reviving its memorandum of understanding with DepEd to facilitate a stronger police presence in schools as part of campus safety, crime prevention, and emergency response efforts.

Members of the Provincial School Board likewise recommended regulating cellphone use inside classrooms to minimize distractions, protect instructional time, and improve student engagement.

They also emphasized the need to improve school sanitation and the overall learning environment, noting that clean, orderly, and child-friendly schools contribute to bullying prevention and learners’ overall well-being.

Board Members Emil Ongchuan and Gerard Miranda also presented recommendations aimed at strengthening child welfare programs, promoting discipline, and enhancing learner safety both inside schools and in the wider community.

Through the Provincial School Board and programs funded under the School Education Fund, the provincial government said it remains committed to implementing preventive, collaborative, and community-based initiatives that will ensure every learner in Northern Samar studies in a safe, secure, and supportive environment.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

ORMOC CITY — Police are investigating the death of an 11-year-old boy who was found unconscious with a hammock tied around his neck inside his family’s rented home in Barangay Aguit-itan, Calbayog City, Samar, on Sunday afternoon, June 28.

The victim, identified only by the alias “Ken-ken,” was a Grade 6 pupil and a resident of Purok 1, Barangay Aguit-itan.

According to a report submitted to the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8), the victim’s mother, identified by the alias “Maya,” 40, reported the incident to the Calbayog City Police Station at around 5:35 a.m. on Monday, June 29.

She told investigators that at about 1:46 p.m. on Sunday, she and her husband were drinking liquor with visitors inside their house when a neighbor, identified only as “Cecil,” alerted them by saying in the local dialect, “Te Maya, kitaa la si Ken-ken didto” (“Maya, look at Ken-ken over there”), while pointing toward the hammock area.

The couple immediately rushed outside and found the child kneeling on the floor, unconscious, with a hammock tied around his neck. They quickly untied the hammock and brought him to the Calbayog District Hospital for emergency treatment.

Despite efforts to save him, the attending physician declared the boy dead at around 2:30 p.m.

The victim’s remains were brought to Jun-jun Funeral Services in Barangay Obrero, Calbayog City.

Police have coordinated with the Calbayog City Health Office for a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death and whether foul play was involved. The incident remains under investigation.

(ROBERT DEJON)

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has extended more than PhP1 million in financial assistance to the families of students who were killed and injured in the shooting incident at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City.

In a press briefing in Malacañang, Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary and Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said President Marcos was deeply saddened by the tragedy, especially since young students were the victims of violence.
“Nakakadurog ng puso, iyan ang naramdaman ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. sa pangyayari sa Tacloban kung saan may mga kabataan na nagbuwis ng buhay para masagip ang ibang kamag-aral. Mga kabataan ang nabibiktima at mga kabataan din ang nambibiktima,” said Castro.

According to Castro, President Marcos also paid tribute to the heroism of the students who sacrificed their lives to save their fellow classmates.

She said, according to the Office of the President, the family of each of the three students who died will receive PhP150,000 while each of the 18 students injured in the incident will receive Php50,000.

“Iba pa ito sa naunang tulong na ipinaabot ng iba’t ibang ahensya ng pamahalaan, kagaya ng Department of Social Welfare and Development sa pangunguna ni Secretary Rex Gatchalian at ng Department of Education sa pamumuno ni Secretary Sonny Angara,” Castro added.

Following the incident, she said the DepEd has strengthened the implementation of school safety measures, including installing metal detectors and CCTV cameras, as well as enhancing coordination with parents and barangay officials.

The President also acknowledged the appeal of the families of the victims that the minor suspects should not merely remain under the custody of the DSWD.

Castro added that the Marcos Administration assured the victims’ families that justice would be served.

“Ang intervention na ito ang ipinatutupad na batas para sa children in conflict with the law. Pero sisiguruhin ng administrasyon ni Pangulong Marcos Jr. na makakamit ninyo ang hustisya,” Castro added. (PCO-PND)