Authorities are investigating new threats made on social media against schools in Region 8.

The Department of Education (DepEd) confirmed the threats, including the one made against Palo National High School in the town of Palo on Friday, June 26, 2026.

Despite this, classes at the school pushed through on Monday, June 29.

A long line of students was observed outside the school. The students could not enter the campus easily because security personnel had to inspect their belongings.

Barangay tanods and policemen helped secure the school.

Palo National High School has a population of 4,000.

The principal said the school is doing its best to secure its learners.

“Some parents are afraid na we will not let our students report… la anay daw… but then I told them we are doing our best for the security,” said the principal, Lorlita Ricablanca.

The threats against schools came in the heels of the shooting at a school in Tacloban City that killed three students and injured several others.

The suspects in the shooting are minors, 14 and 15 years old.

On June 25, three days after the Tacloban shooting, the police confirmed that a threat were made against a school in the town of Tolosa, also in Leyte.

The threat was traced to a junior high school student of the school who allegedly used multiple dummy Facebook accounts to post the threatening messages.

The female student has been made to undergo intervention.

SECURITY

Authorities assured the public that they are not taking threats lightly.

Government agencies concerned are investigating the threats and education officials are also coordinating closely with law enforcement agencies.

DepEd-8 Director, Salustiano Jimenez, said threats that schools receive are verified immediately.

Jimenez said DepEd has written to local government units in Eastern Visayas to help augment security at schools.

“Some of the requests include for the safety, security… even the fencing… of course, the department of education cannot provide fencing to all schools so we need help from our stakeholders… CCTV cameras, as well even provision of guidance counselors or mga psychiatrists na pwede magtulong,” he said.

Leyte Governor Jericho Carlos Petilla said that on top of security personnel, schools are also requesting more classrooms and perimeter fence, among others.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Petilla said social media has changed the landscape of learning in the Philippines.

What the province wants to do is offer a course on social media literacy in the grade level so that students will understand its pros and cons better.

“Heaviest influence right now that did not exist 30 years ago is social media, so how do we do it? Do we actually constrict? It’s so difficult to constrict it so what we do is have a full course in grade school to talk about what social media is about and the dangers and the benefits,” he said.

“Signs of times, combination of many factors… number 1, family… we have a fragmented family, hindi nag-uusap… ang numner one talaga na influencer is the social media, the internet,” he added.