The Department of Education (DepEd) announced that a National Simultaneous School Safety Drill was carried out across all public and private schools on Thursday, aiming to enhance emergency readiness and ensure the safety of both learners and school personnel.
The DepEd said that the initiative aims to enhance multi-agency coordination during active threat scenarios in alignment with localized School Contingency Plans, while ensuring learners’ safety and psychosocial well-being, and learning continuity.
The safety drill at Carlos F. Gonzales High School in Bulacan was attended by Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jonvic Remulla and DepEd officials, led by Undersecretary for Governance and Operations Malcolm Garma.
In a message read on his behalf, Education Secretary Juan Edgardo ‘Sonny’ Angara emphasized that schools must serve as secure sanctuaries for all learners.
‘We want our schools to be places where a learner’s biggest concern is an upcoming exam, a missed assignment, or simply getting through another busy day at school, not whether they are safe inside their own classroom,’ Angara said, adding that the drill is not about dwelling on frightening situations, but making sure that when an emergency happens, school community knows how to respond.
‘The purpose of a drill is not to look perfect. It is to help us become better prepared,’ he said.
Angara also expressed his gratitude to teachers for their steadfast commitment to protecting learners amid any emergency.
Following extensive consultations with medical and mental health experts, including the Philippine Psychiatric Association, the Philippine Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and the Philippine Pediatric Society, DepEd updated its safety drill guidelines to align with trauma-informed, child-centered standards under a strict ‘Do No Harm’ directive. Hyper-realistic elements, active aggressor role-playing, and graphic threat simulations were strictly prohibited.
Instead, drills are triggered by a distinct early warning alarm, separate from standard fire or earthquake signals, to build procedural muscle memory without creating distress.
The simulated drill at Carlos F. Gonzales High School began with an emergency alert via a public address (PA) system and calls to the 911 emergency hotline and local police, prompting teachers and learners to execute protective actions inside classrooms. Arriving police officers operated under strict safety protocols, ensuring their firearms remained concealed. Upon clearance by police, response teams conducted medical first aid while the school activated reunification procedures.