President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. believes the Philippines must do more to protect its children.

In his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 27, 2026, Marcos made mention of the recent violence in schools, particularly the shooting in Tacloban City that left three students dead and several others injured.

The shooting at San Jose National High School took place morning on June 23, 2026. The suspects are both minor students of the school.

“Ang mga nasawi nating mga mag-aaral kamakailan dala ng karahasan at kapabayaan ay nag-iwan ng malaking puwang sa kanilang pamilya, at mapait na aral din para sa ating lahat,” Marcos said.

“Sa mga magulang at kaanak ng mga nasawi at nasaktan dahil sa nangyaring karahasan sa mga paaralan, tanggapin po ninyo ang aming taimtim na pakikiramay,” he added.

He also paid tribute to the “courage and selfishness” of the students who lost their lives trying to protect fellow students from the attack.

“To the parents of Chris Lorenz Fabian, Joyancee Separa, and Ayessa Nicole Dazo: we are all so very proud of the unflinching bravery and heroic virtue that you have instilled in your children. They are an inspiration to us all,” the President said.

Since the shooting in Tacloban, several other schools across the country reported incidents of violence involving students, as well as security threats against schools perpetrated by students through social media. 

COMMUNITY RESPONSIBILITY

Marcos said protecting children is a collective responsibility.

“We must all assume a community responsibility for our young people’s protection,” Marcos said.

“Kailangang mamulat ang buong lipunan at akuin ang responsibilidad. Pag-ibayuhin natin ang ating paggabay at pag-aruga sa ating kabataan,” he added.

He said the government will take steps to prepare public schools further so that they can provide an environment where students can feel at home.

He said children must be protected from “harmful influences and forces that exploit their vulnerability.”

These include, as enumerated by the President in his SONA: 

• The corrosive influence of fake news
• The unfettered exposure to pornography, even to minors
• The constant depiction of casual violence
• The toxicity and hate culture pervasive in social media

“These pernicious influences lead to issues of their mental health, rise in teenage pregnancies and HIV/AIDS cases, and other extremely harmful consequences,” the President said.