THE COMMISSION on Higher Education on Tuesday said it has partnered with the Philippine National Police (PNP) to address increasing bomb threat incidents in higher education institutions.

This came after the CHED and the PNP first launched the Crisis or Incident Management and Bomb Threat Response Training program from Dec. 6 to 8 at Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Batac, Ilocos Norte.

At least 48 representatives from 16 highly vulnerable State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) joined the program.

In a statement, CHED Chairperson Shirley Agrupis stressed the agency’s commitment to upholding campus safety.

“I hope that we continue to give the highest importance to safety measures in our institutions. This initiative also signals the need to develop more academic programs that advance knowledge in protecting our civil society,” she said.

The three-day program covered activities including intensive modules, expert-led discussions, and practical emergency simulations facilitated by specialists from the PNP and Office of Civil Defense.

“Through this training program, I hope CHED can create new learning pathways dedicated not only to safeguarding higher education but also to promoting the safety of our society,” Agrupis said.

To date, at least 209 bomb threats have been reported in HEIs, according to the data of the PNP and CHED survey.

About 128 of these bomb threat incidents were logged from October to November alone, causing disruption in academic activities. (PNA)