The Department of Education (DepEd) Mandaue City Division has strengthened coordination with local authorities and school officials as it prepares public and private schools for the conduct of simultaneous safety drills for active attack incidents.
The coordination meeting was held Monday, August 24, and brought together representatives from the Mandaue City government, public and private school principals, and uniformed personnel from the Mandaue City Police Office (MCPO), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO), and City Social Welfare and Development Services Office (CSWSO).
The activity aims to ensure that schools and responding agencies are coordinated in their actions during an active attack situation and that personnel understand their respective roles during the drills.
The meeting comes after the DepEd Central Office ordered schools to ensure close collaboration with local counterparts and the availability of psychological first aid and psychosocial support under school contingency plans.
‘All Regional Directors are directed to immediately coordinate with their respective Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), and other relevant counterparts,’ the agency said.
The DepEd Central Office also ordered schools Monday to refrain from conducting hyper-realistic simulations in light of the upcoming nationwide simultaneous active attack school safety drills.
The agency issued the instruction after deferring its scheduled safety drills from August 25, 2026 to September amid the suspension of face-to-face classes in several areas due to inclement weather.
In an advisory, DepEd said schools must refrain from drills that may distress participating learners.
Schools Division Superintendent Dr. Bianito Dagatan said that for Mandaue City, since the activity has been moved to the first week of September, with the specific date yet to be announced, coordination and planning among concerned stakeholders will continue.
‘Starting this afternoon, in our agreement, the school principals will coordinate with the different PNP units and other agencies,’ Dagatan said.
The superintendent said school principals, uniformed personnel, as well as the city’s social services and mental health services personnel can hold a table discussion for contingency planning.
‘Ang ilang plano based gyud sa mga situation sa ila mismong eskwelahan,’ he said.
Dagatan acknowledged that each school has its own circumstances, adding that contingency plans should be tailored to each school.
‘Di man pwede nga we will adapt the plan of one school and applicable na siya sa other school, lahi-lahi man sila og scenario and situation,’ Dagatan said.
The meeting also included an open forum where school heads raised their concerns about the conduct of the activity. Dagatan said apprehensions among schools were normal.
Marivic Bathan, president of the Mandaue private school administrators, raised the need to consider the possible consequences of actions during the drill.
‘Ako lang gi-share, even Dr. Dagatan really emphasized how important it is to consider the perspective of our kids,’ Bathan said.
She said that adults should be the ones to prepare the most for the drill.
‘Kinsa man ang adults? Ang administrator, all the teaching and non-teaching personnel of the school. Ang learners, kinahanglan careful kaayo ta especially for the lasting impact of any possible trauma coming from just a practice,’ she said.
Bathan said there are different approaches needed for kindergarten, elementary, and high school students when dealing with the scenario.
Dagatan said he hoped the schools could map out their contingency plans during the discussions.
Meanwhile, Dagatan highlighted the importance of parents’ support.
He said they are looking forward to discussing the roles of parents during the upcoming Parents-Teachers Association assembly on September 9, 2026.
Dagatan added that there will be several aspects to consider, particularly what is suitable for each school, with prevention as the main goal.
‘Dili pwede nga usa lang ka angle atong tan-awon, daghan aron mahatagan og attention,’ he said, noting that prevention can be addressed physically, mentally, and emotionally.
For the city government, Atty. Riczen Gingoyon, Mayor Thadeo Jovito Ouano’s executive secretary, said the city is open to suggestions and wants the conduct of the drill to be inclusive.
Gingoyon said schools know their students and school environments better. He added that the MCPO and DepEd are introducing the drill for the safety of the students.
‘If they have a suggestion, Mayor Ouano, he is for inclusive governance, mangayo sad ta og inputs pod,’ he said.
Gingoyon said the city government is open to suggestions and inputs from private and public schools, as well as parents and professionals.
‘We will take that into consideration and after that we will adjust and manage how the drill will be done. At first they might be few nga usbon, but along the way tinabangay lang ta hangtod we get the right formula,’ he said.