MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Education (DepEd) is set to begin rolling out active-threat drills in schools nationwide on August 25, expanding emergency-response protocols as the country confronts renewed concerns over violence inside campuses.
The planned exercises will test how schools respond to a “human-induced threat,” including how quickly students and personnel can secure themselves, evacuate when safe, coordinate with police and medical responders, and eventually reunite children with their families.
DepEd Undersecretary Malcolm Garma told a Senate hearing on Thursday that the department, together with the Philippine National Police (PNP), has already completed protocols following earlier testing at Manila Science High School.
But one part of the plan could prove just as important as the lockdown itself: what happens after students get out of danger.
Reunification Could Be One of the Biggest Tests
Under the system, schools are expected to designate specific reunification areas where students, parents or guardians, police officers and emergency responders can gather in an organized manner after an incident.
The objective is to prevent frightened families from rushing directly toward a school during an unfolding emergency—something that could create congestion, confusion and additional security risks.
Garma said lessons from the deadly school shooting in Tacloban City helped shape the reunification protocol.
Schools participating in the August 25 exercises will be able to evaluate whether their plans actually work on the ground and identify weaknesses before they are confronted with a real emergency.
DepEd Had Already Tested Active-Threat Procedures
The nationwide rollout did not begin from scratch.
In July, DepEd held an active-threat simulation at Manila Science High School as part of its National Safe Schools Summit, where students, teachers, school personnel and authorities rehearsed emergency procedures.
The simulations included lockdown and evacuation measures, with students and teachers practicing how to secure classrooms when immediate escape was unsafe. Once authorities determined that evacuation could proceed, learners were guided toward designated reunification areas.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara has emphasized that schools cannot rely on a single standardized response because campuses differ in size, layout, population and surrounding communities.
Schools have therefore been urged to develop response plans adapted to their own environments.
The strategy forms part of a broader school-safety framework involving DepEd, the PNP, local governments, the Bureau of Fire Protection, families and communities.
Two School Shootings Put New Urgency on Campus Security
The August 25 rollout comes amid heightened concern after two deadly school shootings in less than two months.
On June 22, a shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City killed three students and injured others, prompting DepEd to accelerate plans for active-threat preparedness and psychological support.
The incident became a major catalyst for the department’s review of campus-security procedures.
Then, on August 18, another shooting struck a school affiliated with Ateneo de Zamboanga University.
Authorities said a student fatally shot another student before dying himself. The attack was partly livestreamed online, according to international news reports, adding an entirely new dimension to government investigations into youth violence, firearm access and harmful online influences.
Investigators have also been examining how the weapons entered the campus and how the student obtained access to firearms.
The Zamboanga tragedy intensified questions over whether school security can focus only on guards, gates and bag inspections—or whether prevention must begin much earlier.
Security Is Only One Part of the Problem
DepEd’s broader approach increasingly recognizes that preventing school violence requires more than physical security.
Government officials have pointed to the need for stronger learner protection, mental-health and psychosocial support, anti-bullying mechanisms, cyber safety, responsible firearm storage and closer communication among schools, families and law enforcement agencies.
After the Tacloban shooting, more than 1,700 students and personnel received psychological first aid as authorities sought to restore a sense of safety among those affected.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has likewise called for stronger measures to protect children in schools and greater cooperation among government agencies, families and communities.
August 25 Will Test More Than a Drill
For DepEd, the coming exercises are designed not merely to teach students how to respond to an attacker.
They will test whether school officials know who should call police, where students should shelter, when evacuation should begin, how emergency responders gain access, where parents should go and how every learner can be accounted for afterward.
And those details matter.
During an actual emergency, even a few minutes of confusion can determine whether a security plan works—or collapses when it is needed most.
The August 25 rollout therefore represents something bigger than another mandatory school exercise.
It is a nationwide test of whether lessons learned from Tacloban and Zamboanga can be converted into procedures that students, teachers, parents and authorities can actually follow under pressure.
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