The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) plans to expand its Parent Effectiveness Service program nationwide to help families guide and discipline children in response to recent school shootings, agency officials announced Thursday.

The decision follows violent incidents in public schools, including a shooting in Tacloban that left three students dead and a recent attack in Zamboanga City where a student killed a classmate before taking his own life.

In a television interview, DSWD spokesperson Irene Dumlao stressed the need to broaden the program beyond low-income areas to strengthen preventive measures in homes across all communities.

The program provides practical guidance on effective communication, non-violent discipline and healthy family dynamics.

Under the proposed expansion, sessions will place increased emphasis on helping parents monitor their children’s activities on social media and video games.

Currently, the agency integrates parenting modules into Family Development Sessions for beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, executed in partnership with local government social welfare offices.