School shooting interventions are faster now, as NGA 911 technology directly integrates DepEd and the PNP for quicker response
Schools will be safer and help for school emergencies will come faster now that the Department of Education (DepEd) has been integrated into the country’s Unified 911 system.
A JOINT SAFETY AUDIT AND DRILL
Observing National School Safety Week, Sonny Angara, education secretary, and Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla, interior secretary, led a joint school safety audit and safety drill at Bangkal National High School in Makati City on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. They signed a Joint Memorandum Circular that deployed barangay tanods in school premises.
The initiative hopes to address campus security concerns by tapping local government units to augment school protection, especially for schools that have not hired professional security personnel.
Under the agreement, schools can coordinate with barangays to request the deployment of barangay tanods to maintain order and security within school perimeters as community partners. They will align with school authorities and law enforcement to ensure child protection, learner rights, and school safety.
An “Active Shooter Drill” was also conducted at Bangkal High School before the MOA signing to simulate what students, teachers, and security should do in case of a school shooting. Aside from government officials and school personnel, Nancy Binay, mayor of Makati, and the barangay tanods who patrol the schools were also present.
HOW THE UNIFIED 911 INTEGRATION WORKS
Integrated into the school safety effort is the cutting-edge emergency response technology provided by public safety technology company NGA 911 to the Unified 911 program of the DILG. The new technology now includes DepEd in the Unified 911’s safety lookout so quick-response interventions and solutions can be applied in the event of school violence and other emergencies.
Robert Llaguno, NGA 911 Philippines country head and a longtime advocate for a national public safety system, said the link between DepEd and the DILG enables schools to use the technology and gadgets the DILG currently uses. He cited communication devices that allow voice and video calls so callers can see responders at the other end of the line. Responders may also send photos and videos to callers.
According to Llaguno, the new cooperation system will activate a parallel workflow. As emergencies happen, the report is sent simultaneously to both the Philippine National Police (PNP) and DepEd so they can respond jointly and make faster decisions about the call.
The Department of Education’s Central, Regional, and Schools Division Offices also process and validate the incident, so report processing that normally takes weeks can be completed in a day. Information storage is centralized.
A WHOLE-OF-SOCIETY APPROACH
“A truly effective emergency response system requires the combined efforts of the national and local governments together with private and public sectors, and civilian and uniformed services,” Llaguno said. He said this synergistic approach is needed to combat the big problem of abuses and violence committed in schools.