TACLOBAN CITY, Oct. 24 -- The Department of Education (DepEd) in Eastern Visayas has ordered the immediate tightening of school security protocols across the region following the tragic shooting of a teacher inside a classroom in Matalom, Leyte.

DepEd Regional Director Ronelo Al Firmo issued on Friday a set of directives to all DepEd field offices aimed at strengthening campus security and preventing similar incidents in the future.

These include prioritizing the hiring of security personnel in schools, coordinating with the Philippine National Police (PNP) for increased visibility and presence in learning institutions, engaging village officials for possible deployment of "tanods" (watchmen) to augment school security.

Schools are als...