Manila: The Department of Education (DepEd) will conduct the National Simultaneous School Safety Drill on Thursday, with the exercise focusing on institutional preparedness for active threat scenarios while ensuring strict safeguards for learners' psychological and physical well-being.
According to Philippines News Agency, Education Secretary Sonny Angara stated that the rescheduled drill aims to strengthen schools' emergency preparedness without causing unnecessary fear or distress among students. He emphasized that safety encompasses both physical security and the protection of children's peace of mind. In collaboration with medical experts and psychiatric societies, the department intends to prioritize the total well-being of children during the drill's implementation.
The drill was postponed following consultations with various medical and mental health organizations, including the Philippine Psychiatric Association, the Philippine Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Philippine Pediatric Society. These consultations were essential to align safety protocols with child-centered and trauma-informed standards under DepEd's "Do No Harm" directive.
"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," Angara said. In preparation for the drill, participating schools are set to conduct capacity-building sessions for teachers, readiness assessments, and age-appropriate orientations for learners.
School heads and teachers are also required to provide advance notice to learners, parents, and school personnel to ensure psychological preparedness and prevent surprise. Schools must secure informed written parental consent and learner assent before participation. Learners who require accommodations, or whose parents request exemption, must be provided alternative safe activities without penalty or stigmatization.
Students will undergo step-by-step walkthroughs of basic protective actions, including securing entry points, practicing silent concealment away from windows, and reviewing evacuation routes. Special arrangements will be made for learners with disabilities and sensory sensitivities. The drill will exclude hyper-realistic or fear-inducing elements, such as threat simulations, active aggressor role-players, bladed or blunt weapons, firearms, pyrotechnics, simulated gunfire, and artificial casualties.
A distinct signal, separate from earthquake or fire alarms, will be used to start the exercise. "Bawat bata ay may kanya-kanyang antas ng katatagan at pang-unawa, kaya hindi pwedeng one-size-fits-all ang ating approach sa kaligtasan," Angara noted, underscoring the need for a tailored approach to safety for each child.
Psychological first aid and post-drill debriefings will be conducted after the exercise. Learners requiring specialized mental health support will be referred through arrangements with schools division offices, local government units, and health facilities. Coordination with the Philippine National Police (PNP) will be limited to external perimeter security, testing emergency dispatch response times, and post-incident learner tracking. PNP personnel will be prohibited from conducting tactical disarming drills involving students or using aggressive uniform displays.
