DepEd: Nationwide school safety drill to push through Sept. 3
By Jel Santos
Published Sep 1, 2026 01:07 pm
At A Glance
- DepEd's nationwide school safety drill will proceed on Sept. 3 to strengthen preparedness for active threats.
- The drill will follow child-centered, trauma-informed protocols and exclude fear-inducing simulations, weapons, simulated gunfire, and artificial casualties.
- Schools must secure parental consent, accommodate vulnerable learners, and provide psychological first aid and post-drill debriefings.
(MB FILE PHOTO)
The National Simultaneous School Safety Drill will push through on Sept. 3 to strengthen schools’ preparedness for active threats, the Department of Education (DepEd) said on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
In a statement, DepEd said the drill was rescheduled following consultations with the Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA), Philippine Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (PSCAP), and Philippine Pediatric Society (PPS) to ensure that safety protocols comply with child-centered, trauma-informed standards under its “Do No Harm” directive.
According to DepEd Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, efforts to ensure school safety must address both physical security and the mental well-being of learners.
"Safety is not just about physical security; it is equally about protecting our children's peace of mind,” he said.
Angara said DepEd is working closely with medical experts and psychiatric societies to keep children’s overall well-being at the center of the drill’s implementation.
“Our goal for September 3 is to build calm operational confidence and muscle memory through proper orientation, not fear. Preparedness saves lives, and trauma-informed execution protects our learners," he added.
DepEd said participating schools will prepare for the drill through teacher capacity-building, school readiness assessments, age-appropriate learner orientations, advance notices to learners, parents, and staff, and the securing of informed written parental consent and learner assent.
“To build psychological readiness and eliminate surprise, school heads and teachers must provide advance notices to learners, parents, and staff. Schools are also required to secure informed written parental consent and learner assent before participation,” the agency said.
“Learners identified as needing additional safeguards or whose parents request accommodations will be provided safe alternative activities without penalty or stigmatization,” it added.
The education department said classes will conduct step-by-step walkthroughs of key protective measures, including securing entry points, remaining silent and out of sight of windows, and reviewing evacuation routes.
Accommodations will be provided for learners with special needs, disabilities, or sensory sensitivities, it added.
DepEd stressed that the drill will exclude all fear-inducing or graphic elements, including threat simulations, active aggressor role-players, weapon props, pyrotechnics, simulated gunfire, and artificial casualties, in accordance with existing disaster risk reduction guidelines.
“Instead, a distinct signal separate from earthquake or fire alarms will initiate the activity. Schools will focus exclusively on building procedural muscle memory without generating distress,” it said.
Angara said safety measures must be tailored to the varying levels of resilience and understanding among learners, as a one-size-fits-all approach would not address their individual needs.
“When we prepare our learners and train our teachers with empathy, age-appropriate guidance, and proper care, we give our school communities confidence and reassurance instead of anxiety,” he said.
“At the end of the day, our schools must remain sanctuaries where learners feel safe, supported, and protected at all times.”
Per DepEd, designated guidance personnel and school health officers will provide psychological first aid (PFA) and conduct post-drill debriefings to maintain a supportive environment.
“Schools will also establish clear referral arrangements with DepEd Schools Division Offices (SDOs), local government units (LGUs), and health facilities for learners needing specialized mental health care,” the agency said.
As such, the education department said coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP) will be limited to external perimeter security, emergency notification systems, dispatch response-time testing, and post-incident learner tracking.
“Learners will also practice a compliance posture of raising hands high, empty and visible, upon encountering first responders during evacuation. Police officers are strictly prohibited from exposing learners to tactical disarming drills or aggressive uniform displays,” it stated.
On Aug. 24, DepEd postponed the nationwide active attack simulation originally scheduled for Aug. 25 following concerns raised by the PPA and PSCAP.
The groups cited insufficient evidence that such exercises reduce casualties and studies indicating that they could cause lasting psychological harm to learners.