For years, I’ve been watching the horrific school shootings in America from afar, wondering why these tragedies seem to happen so often there. I thought it was a uniquely American issue, stemming from their gun culture and divided society. I never imagined that the same violence would one day reach our own classrooms. But it has. In just under two months, two separate school shootings have shattered the illusion that such tragedies are just headlines from a distant country. In June, three students lost their lives in Tacloban City.

Just recently, a livestreamed attack in Zamboanga City resulted in another student’s death before the gunman took his own life. These aren’t isolated events; they’re the first signs of a crisis we can still prevent.

The United States provides a troubling example of the consequences when school violence is addressed with partisan rancor rather than collective action. What started as isolated incidents in the mid-20th century has grown into a widespread problem: mass shootings have become commonplace, children are trained in lockdown protocols, and a generation has been raised with the constant threat of active-shooter drills. In the Philippines, there is no constitutional right to own guns, and gun ownership is, at least on paper, heavily regulated by background checks and psychological assessments. Despite these measures, firearms are still easily accessible, and even a single gun in a school can have devastating effects on the lives of many families.

I think this is something we can all agree on: we must act now, before the language of "school shootings" becomes as commonplace in Filipino newsrooms as it is in American ones.

We need to ask our legislators to start thinking about passing a law requiring licensed gun owners with minors in the household to store firearms unloaded in tamper-resistant safes, with ammunition locked separately. In addition, lawmakers should consider pre-licensing storage checks and mandatory declarations of household firearms to ensure community and school safety. Violations should carry civil liability and license revocation. This is not an infringement on rights; it is parental and gun owner responsibility codified into law.

We need other proactive policy interventions like House Bill 10847, which would establish a 50-meter gun-free perimeter around all schools. Only law enforcement on official duty and authorized security personnel should be exempt. The message must be clear: schools are sanctuaries, not shooting galleries.

The Department of Education (DepEd), in coordination with the Department of Health (DOH), should institutionalize annual psychosocial assessments for students, with particular attention to behavioral warning signs. Early intervention is cheaper than losing the lives of young Filipinos. Now is the perfect moment to prioritize mental health, not just when things get tough, but as a crucial shield against violence. My son, Mark Villar, has introduced Senate Bill No. 2133, the Students’ Guidance Counseling Act, which aims to boost guidance and mental health support in all elementary and secondary schools. Camille, who has always championed mental health, has also introduced a bill that would expand PhilHealth coverage to include a benefit package that makes mental health services more accessible and affordable across the country.

Of course, parents are key partners in keeping our kids safe. Schools should offer mandatory gun-safety workshops for families who have guns. Law enforcement should also step up their efforts to tackle illegal weapons. As one Zamboanga official suggested, “Let’s make sure to check their things when they head to school.”

The Zamboanga shooter’s choice to livestream his attack highlights the importance of age limits on social media and quick removal of violent content. I agree with the proposal, as I’ve mentioned before, to ban children under a certain age from using social media. I also think it’s important for police and security agencies to keep a closer eye on online forums and search activity. This way, we can spot people looking for information about firearms or shootings. I know these steps might make some folks worried about privacy and the risk of political misuse, but we can make sure we have solid protections, clear rules, and independent checks to keep these powers in check.

The Philippines has the option to forge its own course on gun violence in schools, separate from what the United States is experiencing now. Instead of viewing these shootings as unavoidable tragedies, let’s see them as preventable policy gaps and failures of political will. The children of Tacloban and Zamboanga deserve so much more than just words of sympathy. They deserve a future where their school hallways are safe, and where the only thing broadcasted from a classroom is a lesson, not a tragedy.

The time to act is before the next headline writes itself.