Baguio seeks barangay tanods in schools amid campus violence

Baguio City —VINCENT CABREZA/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO BAGUIO CITY — The city council has urged the deployment of at least one barangay tanod (village watchman,) in every public school across the city’s 128 barangays to strengthen campus security following a series of violent incidents reported in schools nationwide. The call is contained in Resolution No. 579, Series of 2026, approved on July 3. The measure was announced by the Baguio City Public Information Office (PIO) in a Facebook post published on Friday, July 17. Article continues after this advertisement READ: DepEd pilots ‘active shooter’ drill in Manila campus According to the resolution, the proposal is anchored on the Local Government Code of 1991 and is aligned with Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Memorandum Circular No. 2025-72, issued under the directive of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. for the deployment of barangay tanods during the 2025-2026 school year. The city council said many Department of Education (DepEd) schools lack the resources to hire private security personnel, leaving campuses vulnerable following recent campus violence reported in Tacloban City, Bacolod City, and Cavite. Under the resolution, the Barangay Peace and Order Advisory Councils (BPOACs) will coordinate with the Baguio City Police Office (BCPO) and its 10 police stations in deploying barangay tanods to serve as force multipliers. Their duties will include traffic management during school hours, routine patrols around school premises, and monitoring suspicious activities to help deter potential security threats. The council also appealed to Mayor Benjamin Magalong to issue an executive order directing all barangays to implement the proposed deployment and ensure the policy is fully enforced. — Maureen Matayew/Contributor Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again. Your subscription has been successful.