Tacloban school resumes F2F classes after deadly shooting

San Jose National High School (SJNHS) in Tacloban City has resumed its face-to-face (F2F) classes on Monday, following the fatal shooting that killed three students, according to the Department of Education (DepEd).

“Our schools must be sanctuaries, not places of anxiety, which is why we are systematic in our approach—combining strict infrastructure audits with compassionate learner protection,” Education Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” M. Angara said in a news release.

During the re-opening of classes, additional closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, walk-through metal detectors, and perimeter fencing have been installed to ensure campus safety. Police visibility has also been heightened for learners’ protection and safety.

DepEd assured that the classrooms involved in the incidents have been repurposed as office spaces and will no longer be used for learning.

Beyond physical security, the agency has partnered with local authorities and organizations to provide Psychological First Aid, counseling, and confidential reporting channels to support learners’ safety.

A “special uplifting program”, hosted by the City Government of Tacloban, also aims to comfort and encourage learners as they return to school.

“Through these concerted efforts, the entire education community remains steadfast in walking together on a path toward long-term recovery, resilience, and hope,” DepEd said in a news release.

DepEd noted that learners who were heavily affected by the incident were offered ‘flexible learning options’ to balance learning continuity with holistic healing.

“Our immediate priority is to wrap our learners and teachers in a blanket of security and psychosocial care, recognizing that true learning cannot genuinely resume where fear remains,” Mr. Angara said.

“We are giving our traumatized learners the grace, time, and space they need to heal without being left behind academically,” he added.

The SJNHS previously implemented modular distance learning on July 1 to help students and school personnel recover from the school shooting by two minors, aged 14 and 15, on June 22.

The 15-year-old perpetrator currently faces three counts of murder, three counts of frustrated murder, and multiple counts of serious physical injuries. Meanwhile, the 14-year-old is exempted from criminal liability under existing Philippine law. — Almira Louise S. Martinez