Manila: Schools across the country will simultaneously test how quickly they can respond, evacuate, and reunite students with their families during an active human-induced threat on August 25, as the Department of Education (DepEd) applies lessons from the recent shootings in Tacloban and Zamboanga City.

According to Philippines News Agency, DepEd Undersecretary Malcolm Garma informed a Senate hearing that the department has completed protocols for the exercise with the Philippine National Police (PNP) after initially testing them at Manila Science High School. "We will be rolling out the nationwide simultaneous drill for August 25. Next week po yan, Madam Chair (That will be next week, Madam Chair)," Garma stated.

Unlike conventional earthquake drills, the exercise aims to test the reaction of school personnel and learners while a human-induced threat is unfolding and to assess the procedures that follow immediately afterward. A significant aspect of the drill will focus on the reunification stage, where students, parents, medical responders, and police are directed to designated areas to avoid chaos.

Undersecretary Garma emphasized the importance of this stage by explaining, "Malaking bahagi po dun sa drills namin yung tinatawag po namin reunification stage kung saan alam ho ng mga involved kung saan pupunta, saan mag-iipon-ipon together with the medical responders, the police enforcers, nasa isang lugar (A major part of our drills is what we call the reunification stage, where everyone involved knows where to go and where to gather together with medical responders and police in one place)."

The protocol development was spurred by DepEd's assessment of the Tacloban shooting, where confusion ensued due to students and parents not knowing where to go immediately after the incident. Garma remarked, "Isa pong bagay na natutunan namin at sana ma-institutionalize na po natin is really the need for the drills (One thing we learned, and which we hope to institutionalize, is really the need for drills)."

The nationwide exercise will be conducted in collaboration with the Department of the Interior and Local Government. Garma also highlighted that preparedness could act as a deterrent if potential attackers are aware that schools have established procedures for immediate response to violence. "Importante yung preparation and readiness and awareness ng school to react, immediately to react kung meron hong ganitong ongoing threat (The preparation, readiness, and awareness of schools are important so they can react immediately when there is an ongoing threat)," he added.

Senator Risa Hontiveros, chair of the Senate Committee on Women, Children, Family Relations, and Gender Equality, expressed the necessity for schools to be prepared for threats beyond the usual natural disasters, stating, "It's just sad, but a reality today na kailangan tuloy magkaroon ng protocols and drills on active human-induced threats. So hindi na lang po yung usual na earthquake drills natin na duck, cover and hold (It is just sad, but it's a reality today that we now need protocols and drills on active human-induced threats. So, it is no longer just the usual earthquake drills where we duck, cover and hold)."

DepEd indicated that the August 25 exercise will allow officials to evaluate the effectiveness of the protocol at the school level and identify any gaps that need to be addressed before further institutionalization of the system.