Tacloban School Resumes Classes Amid Lingering Fear After Mass Shooting

TACLOBAN CITY, LEYTE, Philippines — Some students and parents of San Jose National High School remain hesitant to return to campus following the June 22 mass shooting that killed three students and injured 20 others, even as school officials prepare to resume in-person classes on July 6 with tighter security measures and continuing psychosocial support. To ease students back into the classroom, the school will temporarily shift to modular learning from July 1 to July 3 while repair works and counseling sessions are completed, the Tacloban City Schools Division said. Nilo Eder, information officer of the Schools Division, said the phased reopening is part of the school’s recovery efforts after what is considered one of the deadliest incidents of campus violence in the country. Classes across Tacloban City remain suspended until Monday as the city celebrates its annual fiesta in honor of Señor Santo Niño. Eder said preparations are underway to ensure the safety and emotional well-being of the school’s more than 1,600 students. Among these are repainting classrooms and school buildings in brighter colors to create a more welcoming environment. “This is our way of helping our students move forward from what happened on June 22. It is part of their emotional healing process,” Eder told the Inquirer. The Department of Education has also provided psychological first aid and psychosocial interventions for students and school personnel affected by the tragedy. Meanwhile, repair and improvement works inside the campus are expected to be completed within 10 days following the directive of Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez. The projects include reinforcing the school’s perimeter fence after investigators said one of the suspects allegedly escaped by scaling the existing two-meter fence. Under the upgrades, the fence will be raised to nearly twice its current height, reinforced with concrete and topped with barbed wire. Sections previously made of galvanized iron sheets will also be replaced with concrete. Eder acknowledged that many families remain anxious about returning to the school. “There are students and parents who are still hesitant to return, while others are thinking of transferring to other schools because of security concerns,” he said. To restore public confidence, the Schools Division and the city government are implementing tighter security measures, including mandatory bag inspections using metal detectors.