DepEd Conducts Nationwide School Safety Drills

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Thursday conducted the National Simultaneous School Safety Drill. In a statement, the DepEd said the drill was held to strengthen schools' preparedness and response capacity for active threat scenarios and other emergencies under the School Safety Contingency Plans. Safety drills were conducted in schools across the country, including the Carlos F. Gonzales High School in Bulacan, which was attended by Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, DepEd Undersecretary Malcolm Garma, and Assistant Secretary Jocelyn Andaya. Earlier, Deped said the drill was designed to promote preparedness and build students' and school personnel's procedural "muscle memory" without creating fear or trauma. The department said it coordinated with medical and mental health organizations to ensure the exercise follows child-centered and trauma-informed standards. DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara said that physical security and mental health should be treated as equally important in school safety. "Safety is not just about physical security; it is equally about protecting our children's peace of mind," Angara said. During the exercise, learners practiced protective actions such as securing entry points, silent concealment away from windows, and reviewing evacuation routes. DepEd said the drill strictly prohibited hyper-realistic or fear-inducing elements, including active aggressor role-players, weapons, simulated gunfire, pyrotechnics, firearms, and artificial casualties. The activity was conducted after the fatal shootings in Ateneo de Zamboanga University in Zamboanga City on August 18 and San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on June 22. —VAL, GMA News