Wazzup Pilipinas!?
MAKATI CITY, 17 January 2026 — At Ramon Torres Louisiana National High School in Barangay Ma-ao, Bago, Negros Occidental, student safety has become a shared responsibility, shaped less by slogans and more by steady cooperation among teachers, parents, barangay officials, and police.
Before the end of 2025, the school held its annual Children’s Rights, Anti-Bullying, and Drug Abuse Prevention Program, drawing around parents alongside students, teachers, and community partners. The activity reflected a long-running effort by the school to address concerns over bullying, peer pressure, and exposure to illegal drugs through sustained dialogue and coordination beyond the campus.
School principal Helen Dela Cruz, together with the faculty and staff and the School Parent-Teacher Association led by President Roger Palma, worked with the Barangay Ma-ao Council and the Philippine National Police to deliver sessions focused on student rights, responsibilities, and the real-world consequences of violence and substance abuse. Resource speakers and VAWC Desk Officers reinforced messages on child protection and welfare.
The school’s faculty president Ronald Alegre shared the initiative grew out of practical concerns faced by the school community.
“These issues [bullying, peer pressure, and illegal drugs exposure] posed risks to students’ safety, behavior, and academic performance. Addressing them became necessary to ensure a safe and supportive learning environment,” Alegre said.
“The school, parents, and community worked together through awareness campaigns, seminars, and regular coordination with the Brgy. Ma-ao Council and the Philippine National Police. Parents actively supported the school by monitoring their children, while the PNP provided guidance on laws and the harmful effects of bullying and drug abuse,” he added, noting that the school observed a decrease in bullying cases.
While the activity was organized independently by the school, its approach mirrors the direction being encouraged nationally by the Department of Education’s Kaagapay Program, which emphasizes the role of parents and communities as partners in learner protection and well-being.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara has said that stronger school–family–community ties are key to addressing violence and safety concerns in schools.
“Mahalaga ang ganitong mga hakbang ng paaralan—yung hindi naghihintay ng problema bago kumilos, kundi nakikipag-ugnayan agad sa magulang at komunidad. Doon talaga mas nagiging ligtas ang learners at mas nasusuportahan ang mga guro,” Angara said.
This 2026, the department will conduct five batches of orientation on the Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act No. 10627, or the Anti-Bullying Act of 2013, to equip regional and division focal persons and school heads with updated guidelines on handling bullying cases.
DepEd is also working with Stairway Foundation Inc. to develop anti-bullying classroom decks that will serve as the basis for session guides to help teachers facilitate age-appropriate discussions with learners, with rollout targeted for School Year 2026–2027.
For Ramon Torres Louisiana National High School, the impact is already visible in smaller, consistent steps. By keeping parents involved, maintaining open lines with local authorities, and repeating the conversation year after year, the school is building a safer environment one partnership at a time.
“When families, the community, and authorities work together, prevention efforts become more effective and sustainable. This collaboration helps create a safer school environment where learners feel protected and supported,” Teacher Alegre added.
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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