Days after a deadly shooting inside a Tacloban City high school left three students dead and wounded more than a dozen others, a growing number of Filipino parents are reconsidering whether traditional schooling remains a safe option for their children, and turning to homeschooling as an alternative.

On June 22, two minor suspects aged 14 and 15 opened fire inside San Jose National High School in Tacloban City at around 9:20 in the morning while classes were ongoing, killing three students and wounding at least 13 others. 

The Department of Education (DepEd) classified the incident as a "high-alert situation" and condemned the act of violence. 

The attack has since reignited a national conversation about campus security and the viability of homeschooling as a safer educational option.

Bullying and Safety Already a Major Concern

School safety concerns in the Philippines predate the Tacloban shooting. Based on the 2022 Programme for International Student Assessment, nearly half of Filipino students aged 15 reported being bullied at least a few times a month — 43 % of girls and 53 % of boys figures more than double the OECD global averages. 

The Philippines has been internationally tagged as the "bullying capital of the world" based on PISA findings. 

The institutional response has drawn criticism. DepEd disclosed earlier this year that only 966 out of more than 45,000 schools in the country have a functioning Anti-Bullying Committee  approximately 2 %, a figure Senator Sherwin Gatchalian described as "shocking" and a violation of existing law. 

The suspects in the Tacloban shooting told police in initial questioning that they had been victims of bullying at school. However, Education Secretary Sonny Angara, who visited Tacloban and attended the wake of one of the slain students, said he was not convinced the motive was bullying alone, citing chat messages that suggested the attack was premeditated. 

What homeschooling offers?

Homeschooling allows parents to remove their children from the peer environment where bullying and school violence occur. It also eliminates commute risks, unsupervised hallways, and the structural gaps that allow threats to go undetected in overcrowded classrooms.

Globally, 83 percent of homeschooling parents cite school environment concerns, including safety, drug exposure, and negative peer pressure, as their primary reason for choosing home education, making it the single biggest driver ahead of religious or academic motivations. -

Homeschooling gives parents direct oversight of their child's daily environment, something institutional schooling, by design, cannot offer.

Legal framework and available programs

Homeschooling in the Philippines is legally recognized and regulated by the Department of Education.

DepEd memoranda governing homeschooling date back to 1997, with revised guidelines issued as recently as 2021. The program is anchored in the 1987 Philippine Constitution, which affirms the natural right of parents to rear and educate their children. 

Under DepEd Order No. 1 s. 2022, both public and private schools may offer a Homeschooling Program as an Alternative Delivery Mode. 

Public schools must secure authorization from the Regional Office, while private schools are required to obtain a permit to offer the program. 

Parents enrolling their children under the program are not required to be licensed teachers but must follow a DepEd-aligned curriculum and coordinate with their school division office.

Violence in schools not isolated to Tacloban

The Tacloban incident is not isolated. This month alone, two separate stabbing incidents occurred in schools in Cavite province, one suspect was 18 years old, the other was 14. 

DepEd Metro Manila recorded approximately 2,500 bullying cases in School Year 2024 to 2025, a 10 percent increase from the previous year. Secretary Angara called the situation a national priority requiring a "whole-of-government, whole-of-society response." 

The Philippine National Police has vowed to file charges against the gun owners whose firearms were used in the Tacloban attack, stating that firearm ownership carries both responsibility and accountability. 

Classes at San Jose National High School remain suspended. DepEd has deployed psychosocial support services for affected students and personnel and has coordinated with the Department of Social Welfare and Development for additional interventions. 

DepEd reiterates commitment to school safety

In a statement following the shooting, DepEd said the safety, well-being, and mental health of learners remain among its highest and most uncompromisable priorities, adding that the agency is committed to ensuring schools remain secure and supportive environments for all students. 

For parents who have lost confidence in that assurance, homeschooling is no longer a fringe option. Under current DepEd guidelines, it is a recognized, structured, and legal alternative, one that more Filipino families are now actively pursuing.

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