The Department of Education (DepEd) spearheaded the National Simultaneous School Safety Drill on Thursday to strengthen the emergency preparedness of public and private schools.
The drill aims to enhance multi-agency coordination during active threat scenarios with localized school contingency plans to ensure the safety and psychosocial well-being of students, teachers, and other school personnel.
According to a DepEd statement, the safety drill at Carlos F. Gonzales High School in Bulacan was attended by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla and DepEd officials, led by Undersecretary for Governance and Operations Malcolm Garma.
In a message, which was read on his behalf, Education Secretary Sonny Angara said: ‘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.’
‘This drill is not about dwelling on frightening situations. It is about making sure that when an emergency happens, our school community knows how to respond. The purpose of a drill is not to look perfect. It is to help us become better prepared,’ added Angara.
Angara also thanked teachers for their steadfast commitment to protecting students during any emergency.
Updated drill guidelines
DepEd conducted the drill after 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.
The result is updated drill guidelines to align with trauma-informed, child-centered standards under a strict ‘Do No Harm’ directive, which strictly prohibits ‘hyper-realistic elements, active aggressor role-playing, and graphic threat simulations.’
‘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 DepEd statement said.
At Carlos F. Gonzales High School, the drill began with an emergency alert via a public address system and calls to the 911 emergency hotline and local police, prompting teachers and students to execute protective actions inside classrooms.
Then police officers arrived – operating under strict safety protocols, with firearms concealed – and cleared response teams to conduct first aid while the school started reunification procedures.
Observers from various agencies were present, including representatives from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, the Philippine National Police, and Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices. They evaluated the simulation to identify operational gaps and refine localized contingency plans.
School Contingency Plan
To ensure campus readiness, DepEd is also doing a nationwide rollout of the new School Contingency Plan integrating active threat responses, such as lockout, lockdown, evacuation, and reunification procedures, into the school’s existing disaster management frameworks.
Schools are mandated to implement physical site hardening, capacity-building, and localized preparations in coordination with local government and law enforcement authorities.
Site hardening measures include the following:
single-entry points for visitors
secure perimeter gates
routine inspections of perimeter fencing
internal classroom locking or barricading mechanisms
In the event of a threat, the School Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (SDRRM) Committee automatically reconstitutes into an Incident Management Team (IMT). School personnel and students are given orientations and drills in localized, age-appropriate protective actions.
Comprehensive response and reunification guidelines detail strict behavioral compliance during police tactical interventions, multi-agency emergency dispatch, integrated Emergency Medical Services triage, and secure family reunification procedures.
Post-incident protocols call for immediate Psychological First Aid (PFA) and structured learning continuity under DepEd’s 4H (Hinto, Hinga, Hinay, Hayo) Framework for a safe, phased recovery after any active threat has been resolved.