MANILA, Philippines – Isinagawa nitong Huwebes, Setyembre 3, 2026 ng Department of Education (DepEd) ang National Simultaneous School Safety Drill sa mga paaralan sa buong bansa upang palakasin ang kahandaan at tamang pagtugon sa active threat scenarios at iba pang emergency.
Isinagawa ang pangunahing drill sa Carlos F. Gonzales High School sa Bulacan, na dinaluhan nina Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, DepEd Undersecretary Malcolm Garma at Assistant Secretary Jocelyn Andaya.
Hindi na isinama sa drill ang “reenactment” ng active shooter o active attacker dahil maaari itong magdulot ng psychological trauma sa mga estudyante at guro.
“There will no longer be reenactments involving an active shooter or active attacker because, according to experts, these may cause psychological trauma to participating learners and teachers,” ani Garma.
Sa halip, mga alarm ang magsisilbing hudyat ng pagsisimula ng drill. “What will trigger the drill are the … distinct alarms. [Once] they [go off, they] will signal the commencement of the drills,” ani Garma.
Mahigpit ding ipinagbawal ang hyper-realistic o fear-inducing elements gaya ng active aggressor role-players, armas, simulated gunfire, pyrotechnics, firearms at artificial casualties.
Sa drill, isinagawa ng mga mag-aaral ang mga protective action tulad ng pagsasara at pag-secure ng entry points, tahimik na pagtatago sa lugar na malayo sa bintana, at pagrepaso sa evacuation routes. Kasama rin ang post-incident response at “run-hide-fight” protocol.
Ayon kay DepEd Secretary Sonny Angara, kailangang parehong protektahan ang pisikal na seguridad at mental health ng mga bata.
“Safety is not just about physical security; it is equally about protecting our children’s peace of mind,” ani Angara.
Nakipag-ugnayan ang DepEd sa mga medical at mental health organizations upang matiyak na child-centered at trauma-informed ang pagsasagawa ng drill.
Kailangan din ng pahintulot ng mga magulang para makasali ang kanilang mga anak.
“We will not be able to force them to make their children join,” ani Garma. “But, of course, we would like to encourage our parents to make their children join.”
Naunang ipinagpaliban ang drill na nakatakda sana noong Agosto 25 dahil sa masamang panahon at pangamba ng mga psychiatrist sa posibleng epekto ng realistic violence simulations.
Isinagawa ang safety drill matapos ang magkahiwalay na pamamaril sa San Jose National High School sa Tacloban City noong Hunyo 22 at Ateneo de Zamboanga University sa Zamboanga City noong Agosto 18, na nagresulta sa pagkamatay ng limang estudyante.
“This will not be the first and the last,” ani Garma. “We have to perfect that drill. It’s really for muscle memory.”
“Our earthquake drills are paying off. Our children already know what to do: duck-cover-and-hold. We hope that these drills to address human-induced incidents like this would also be part of the muscle memory of our learners,” dagdag niya. RNT/MDS
