Education Secretary Sonny Angara assured students of San Jose National High School (SJNHS) in Tacloban City that the Department of Education (DepEd) is committed to providing a safe, secure, and nurturing learning environment as face-to-face classes resumed following the tragic campus shooting last month that killed three people and injured 20 others.

Angara said DepEd will not rush the emotional recovery of affected learners and teachers, stressing that education cannot fully continue while fear and trauma remain.Following the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the department is prioritising campus security together with psychosocial support services to help the school community recover.

DepEd has also expanded flexible learning options for students who are still coping with the incident, allowing them to continue their education without adding further emotional stress.

According to Angara, schools should serve as places of safety rather than anxiety, and the department is implementing a systematic approach that combines stronger security measures, infrastructure inspections, and learner protection programmes.

The reopening of SJNHS forms part of DepEd's nationwide school safety campaign aimed at improving campus security and strengthening protection mechanisms across public schools.Separately, DepEd also announced additional assistance for learners affected by the magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Mindanao.The agency allocated an extra P10 million for its EduKahon programme and distributed 100 learning kits to evacuation centres.

The EduKahon packages include whiteboards, writing materials, first aid kits, laptops, and communication devices to help students continue learning despite displacement.

Angara said disasters interrupt not only daily life but also education, and programmes like EduKahon are intended to ensure that affected learners can continue pursuing their studies and future goals even while staying in evacuation centres.