đź“·: Courtesy of Tacloban City Fire Station
House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. Antonio Tinio has called for comprehensive care and support for students affected by the Tacloban school shooting, while pressing for a House investigation into rising incidents of school violence.
The June 22 tragedy at San Jose National High School claimed the lives of three students and left several others injured.
Tinio said the incident underscores systemic failures in the country’s education infrastructure.
“The Tacloban tragedy exposes chronic underfunding, overcrowding, understaffing, and inadequate psychosocial support in Philippine schools. Public schools face shortages of 150,000 teachers and 160,000 classrooms nationwide, while thousands lack guidance counselors, nurses, and support personnel,” he noted, citing findings from the Second Congressional Commission on Education.
Rejecting punitive and security-centered responses, Tinio warned against treating schools as militarized zones. “Ang buhay ng mga bata ay hindi dapat ikompromiso dahil sa budget cuts. Ang bawat paaralan ay dapat may sapat na guidance counselors, nurses, at support personnel. Ang Tacloban tragedy ay nagpapakita ng resulta ng patuloy na kapabayaan sa sistema ng edukasyon,” he said.
The lawmaker urged Congress to substantially increase the education budget to hire more counselors and nurses, construct classrooms to reduce overcrowding, and implement comprehensive mental health programs.
“Ang mga bata ay nangangailangan ng mga guro na may oras para sa kanila at mga counselors na nakikinig. Hindi sila nangangailangan ng mas maraming pulis,” Tinio stressed.
He emphasized that genuine school safety requires sustained public investment and treating schools as communities of care and learning rather than sites of enforcement. Tinio said the House probe must lead to legislation that strengthens student support systems and fosters a culture of care within schools. # (ZIA LUNA)
