The Office of Civil Defense 11 (OCD 11) is urging the Department of Education (DepEd) to strengthen campus security and disaster preparedness by establishing Incident Management Teams (IMTs) in all schools through the Incident Command System (ICS).
This developed following recent incidents of violence in school campuses.
OCD 11 Director Ednar Dayanghirang said the proposal, which he had raised with DepEd even before recent school shooting incidents, could provide every campus with a trained response team capable of handling not only disasters but also security emergencies.
“This should be a whole-of-government, whole-of-nation, whole-of-society approach kani na problema. Kay dili man lang ni sa school na naay epekto, let’s say sa atong mga online platforms, mga bata na-influence diha,” Dayanghirang said.
He said DepEd has already begun strengthening its preparedness programs, with some school divisions and districts implementing the ICS and principals undergoing executive courses on the system.
“I think Davao City, Mati, and some Davao del Norte, pero gusto nato unta nga mahitabo whole region. I-push pod ang Incident Management Team through the ICS system,” he said.
Under the proposed setup, principals would undergo ICS executive training and organize an IMT within their respective campuses. The team would be composed of teaching and non-teaching personnel, with Parents-Teachers Association leaders also potentially involved.
“The principal has to undergo the executive course sa, ICS, then i-organize niya ang I- IMT sa bawat campus. So, every campus naay response unit nga trained. Dili lang sa disaster, but pwede na ipasok ang sa security aspect,” Dayanghirang said.
He stressed that the proposal would not require schools to hire additional personnel because the response teams could be organized from existing school personnel and stakeholders.
“I already recommended this to the DepEd Secretary when we met in Mati. Nga dili man sila mogasto ug dugang aning personnel kay in-house na ni sa bawat campus. Nga i-strengthen ang security and disaster uh preparedness through the ICS system,” he said.
Dayanghirang said the approach should also be extended to higher education institutions, noting that the OCD has recommended a similar strategy to the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) to strengthen campus resilience.
“Sa college level, nag-rekomenda pod ta sa CHED. The same na strategy to strengthen campus resilience through the ICS system,” he said.
The proposal comes as schools face growing concerns over campus security, particularly following recent incidents of violence involving students.
For the OCD, strengthening preparedness at the campus level would allow schools to respond faster and coordinate more effectively with authorities during emergencies.
Dayanghirang said the goal is to move beyond reacting to incidents and build a culture of preparedness in every school across Davao Region.
