THE DEPARTMENT of Education (DepEd) on Monday assured school safety and flexible learning as the San Jose National High School (SJNHS) resumed its in-person classes in Tacloban City.

This came following the tragic school violence incident in the said campus, leaving casualties and injuries among learners last June 22.

In a statement, DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said the move seeks to balance learning continuity and holistic recovery for affected learners.

This is in line with the directives of President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. to ensure the safety and well-being of learners, as well as the teaching and non-teaching personnel in public schools.

“President Bongbong Marcos has been very clear that 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,” Angara said.

He said the agency “will not rush” the emotional recovery of distressed individuals during the tragic shooting, granting them flexible options for other learning modalities.

“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,” he added.

“By offering flexible learning pathways alongside a heavily fortified environment, we are giving our traumatized learners the grace, time, and space they need to heal without being left behind academically.”

In terms of security measures, the DepEd and the school administration intensified upgrades to extensive security on-site, including additional closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras, walk-through metal detectors and perimeter fencing.

There is also heightened police visibility as the DepEd partnered with law enforcement agencies and local government units.

The agency has strengthened mental health and learner protection systems by institutionalizing sustained psychological first aid, counseling, and confidential reporting channels for learner safety.

To restore the campus environment, the school also completed clean-up and repainting efforts.

The classroom involved in the incident, however, has been repurposed into an office and will no longer function as a learning space.

For its part, the city government of Tacloban has sponsored a special uplifting program featuring guest performers to offer encouragement to learners and school personnel on the resumption of classes. (PNA)