A faculty researcher at National University (NU) Fairview has developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted security system that turns existing campus CCTV networks into proactive monitoring tools for educational institutions, according to BusinessWorld's SparkUp.

The AI-assisted school security and multi-CCTV face identification system was developed independently by Herminiño C. Lagunzad, an Information Technology faculty member and Research Coordinator at NU Fairview's School of Engineering and Technology. The platform is intended to strengthen campus situational awareness, incident documentation, and the preservation of digital evidence.

The working prototype allows security teams to monitor multiple camera feeds at the same time. Its core technical features include facial identification and verification, monitoring of restricted areas and after-hours activity, multi-frame verification to reduce false positives, and processing capabilities that function over long distances and in low-light conditions.

When a security breach or panic trigger occurs, the system automatically logs the incident, captures screenshots, and archives video recordings for administrative review and evidence retention. Generating those records at the moment of a trigger, rather than assembling them afterward, is central to the evidence-preservation goal the project is built around.

The project arrives amid heightened concern over campus safety in the Philippines, following a series of high-profile security incidents at schools in mid-2026, including violent events in Tacloban City, Las Piñas, and Zamboanga City.

“These incidents demonstrate that school-safety systems must be capable not only of identifying unauthorized persons but also of supporting rapid incident detection, documentation, evidence preservation, and human decision-making when an emergency involves someone who may already have legitimate access to the campus,” Mr. Lagunzad said.

“I believe the project may provide a timely Philippine perspective on how artificial intelligence, computer vision, and existing CCTV infrastructure can be responsibly applied to campus safety.”

Addressing ethical and privacy concerns surrounding AI-powered surveillance, Mr. Lagunzad stressed that the platform is designed to complement — not replace — human security personnel, faculty, and standard emergency protocols. He also emphasized that the system does not predict criminal behavior or automatically label individuals as security threats. People who cannot be matched against an authorized reference database are classified simply as “UNKNOWN,” prompting security staff to carry out manual verification.

Mr. Lagunzad said he hopes the project will contribute to ongoing public discussion on responsible technology innovation and on improving school safety in the Philippines. The SparkUp report describes the system as a working prototype and does not detail deployment plans; whether and how such a tool might move beyond NU Fairview remains an open question in the country's ongoing school-safety discussion.