Watchmen, not guards: the gap in WV school security

By Mariela Angella Oladive

Most public schools in Western Visayas continue to rely on watchmen hired through their Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses (MOOE) as permanent security guard positions remain scarce, according to the Department of Education (DepEd) Region 6.

DepEd-6 Regional Director Dr. Cristito A. Eco, CESO III, said about three-fourths of the region’s 2,841 public schools still lack plantilla security guard positions, forcing many schools to adopt temporary security arrangements.

“What the schools have been doing is they utilize MOOE to hire some watchmen for the meantime,” Eco said, noting that only larger or better-resourced schools typically have regular security guards assigned to them.

However, Eco emphasized that watchmen are not a substitute for licensed security guards.

He said security guards deployed through accredited agencies are trained to implement established security protocols and respond to emergencies, while watchmen mainly monitor school premises.

“That’s why we support and it is a good move from the department to ask for funding from the DBM [Department of Budget and Management], knowing that we really lack security guards,” he said.

The shortage in Western Visayas reflects the situation nationwide.

The DepEd currently has only 2,494 plantilla security guard positions for approximately 48,000 public schools across the country, of which 2,242 are filled and 252 remain vacant.

The figures translate to roughly one permanent security guard for every 20 public schools.

Education Secretary Sonny Angara recently announced that the department has asked the DBM to fund additional plantilla items, describing the current number of security personnel as “severely lacking.”

He attributed the shortage to the removal of many security guard positions following an earlier nationalization of government posts, noting that some campuses require more than one guard.

The push for additional security personnel comes as schools tighten campus safety measures after the June 22 shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, where two students killed three classmates and wounded 20 others after bringing firearms onto campus.

On June 30, the Schools Division of Iloilo likewise reported the recovery of a prohibited firearm from a learner’s backpack after another learner alerted school authorities.

Division officials said the situation was resolved peacefully, with no injuries or threats reported.

Law enforcement authorities, the local social welfare office, and the learner’s parents were immediately notified, while psychological first aid providers were deployed to assist those affected.

As schools strengthen security, they may also use their MOOE funds to purchase handheld metal detectors.

DepEd-6 Finance Division Chief Administrative Officer Martha Ampig said the equipment may be procured through MOOE because the cost of a unit generally falls below the PHP 50,000 procurement threshold.

She added that several schools in the region have already acquired metal detectors.

Eco said the devices offer schools a less intrusive way to screen for prohibited items.

Because routine manual frisking is generally not practiced in schools, he said, metal detectors help improve inspection accuracy while respecting learners’ rights and reducing the likelihood that dangerous items are brought onto campus.