Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso signed an executive order adopting preventive measures against armed violence in schools following the shooting incident in Tacloban that left three students dead.
In his State of the City Address on Wednesday, June 24, Domagoso announced that Executive Order No. 29 would be implemented by the newly formed Manila School and Community Safety Task Force, which will coordinate threat assessment and violence-prevention efforts.
The order took effect immediately.
“Our policy is simple: Remove illegal guns. Act on every warning sign. Prepare every school. Manila will not wait for a tragedy before taking action,” Domagoso said.
The issuance came two days after two minors open fired at their schoolmates at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, killing three students and wounding 20 other persons.
The task force consists of the Manila Police District (MPD), the Schools Division Office of Manila (SDO-Manila), the Manila Health Department, the Manila City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department and other city departments, with the mayor serving as its chairman. Representatives from parent associations, youth organizations, and private schools will also take part in the initiative, according to Domagoso.
The task force is set to conduct a citywide school safety audit within 90 days of the order’s issuance and submit monthly reports on security and emergency preparedness plans.
“The order is intended to strengthen our city’s efforts to prevent school-based and public mass-casualty violence and direct the Manila Police District, DepEd (Department of Education) Manila, barangays, and other concerned offices to implement and coordinate preventive, safety and emergency response measures in schools,” Domagoso said.
The SDO-Manila is tasked with creating safety and threat assessment teams across all school districts, adopting standardized reporting protocols and improving student counseling and behavioral support services.
The division office is expected to conduct at least two emergency preparedness drills and one lockdown simulation each academic year.
The order sets a 180-day timeline for full implementation, requiring all districts to have functioning threat assessment teams, updated emergency response plans for all schools and an operational threat monitoring and assessment desk.
Domagoso’s State of the City Address coincided with the celebration of Manila’s 455th founding anniversary at the Quirino Grandstand. F
