The Department of Education will provide metal detectors to all public schools across the country as part of the safety measures amid concerns on students carrying deadly weapons.

DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said they plan to buy metal detectors and distribute them to prevent and discourage students from carrying and sneaking bladed weapons and other deadly weapons into their schools.

“Based on our audit, a number of schools need metal detectors which are important because there are students who are carrying knives and other items,” said Angara in an interview during the Ceremonial Signing of Implementing Rules and Regulations for the Early Childhood Care and Development or ECCD System Act.

For Angara, the purchase of metal detectors are logical since it does not entail huge budgets like hiring of more security guards to secure every school in the country.

Angara earlier disclosed that they are planning to hire security guards but cited budgetary constraints.

“We are already procuring them (metal detectors) because it only costs thousands of pesos. And we will provide all schools with that,” said Angara.

The school security measures cropped up over several incidents of violence in schools, including the first school mass shooting in Tacloban and the recent was the knife attack in a school in Las Piñas City.

Aside from metal detectors and hiring of security guards, Angara said they already sought assistance from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in tapping policemen and barangay security officers for school security.

He said the presence of policemen and barangay tanod outside the schools is of big help in maintaining peace and order, as well as the safety of both the learners and school personnel.