By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — In a sweeping move to shield students and educators from gun violence and other mass-casualty threats, Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso has signed an executive order creating a citywide task force that will aggressively combat illegal firearms, detect early warning signs of violence, and strengthen emergency preparedness in every public school.
Signed on June 24, Executive Order No. 29, Series of 2026, formally establishes the Manila School and Community Safety Task Force, a multi-agency body tasked with preventing armed attacks in schools and other public spaces through intelligence, enforcement, and coordinated emergency response.
Speaking during his State of the City Address on Wednesday, Domagoso underscored the urgency of acting before violence strikes.
“Our policy is simple: Remove illegal guns. Act on every warning sign. Prepare every school. Manila will not wait for a tragedy before taking action,” the mayor declared.
The executive order adopts a three-pronged prevention strategy centered on eliminating illegal firearms and armed threats, responding immediately to credible reports of potential violence, and ensuring every school and community is prepared to respond to emergencies.
The Task Force, to be chaired by the Mayor or the City Administrator, brings together the Manila Police District (MPD), Schools Division Office-Manila (SDO-Manila), Manila Department of Social Welfare, Manila Health Department, Manila City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Department, Liga ng mga Barangay, City Legal Office, Public Information Office, the Mayor’s Chief of Staff, and representatives from private schools, parents, and youth organizations.
As the city’s lead coordinating body on school security, the Task Force will monitor emerging threats against schools, public gatherings, and other critical facilities while submitting quarterly security assessments to the Office of the Mayor.
The Manila Police District has been ordered to intensify its campaign against loose firearms, illegal gun trafficking, gun-for-hire syndicates, and armed criminal groups. It will also establish a Threat Monitoring and Assessment Desk, designate a School and Youth Safety Coordinator, maintain direct communication with schools and barangays, and submit monthly reports on enforcement operations.
The Schools Division Office-Manila has likewise been directed to establish School Safety and Threat Assessment Teams in every district, standardize procedures for reporting threats and weapons possession, strengthen counseling and behavioral intervention programs, and conduct at least two emergency response exercises and one lockdown drill every academic year.
Every public school will also appoint a School Safety Focal Person to oversee campus security and coordinate with law enforcement and local officials.
Within 90 days, the MPD and SDO-Manila are required to jointly complete a comprehensive safety audit of all public schools, assessing campus security, access control, evacuation routes, communications capability, and emergency response systems. Recommendations will be submitted directly to the Mayor for immediate implementation.
Barangays have likewise been ordered to strengthen coordination with police and school authorities, support violence prevention campaigns, and encourage residents to report illegal firearms and credible security threats.
The executive order sets a 180-day implementation deadline for all public schools to update emergency response plans, establish fully operational Threat Assessment Teams, designate School Safety Coordinators in every barangay, and ensure the MPD’s Threat Monitoring and Assessment Desk is fully functional.
City officials said the initiative aims to build a proactive security network that protects students, teachers, and communities while ensuring Manila remains prepared to respond swiftly to any potential act of violence.
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