The Philippine National Police (PNP) is coordinating with the Department of Education (DepEd) to refine the procedures for the country’s nationwide school safety drill after concerns were raised that highly realistic active-shooter simulations could cause unnecessary fear or psychological distress among students and teachers.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said local police units are working with school division heads and regional directors to determine what adjustments are needed before the nationwide exercise proceeds.
The police chief acknowledged concerns from medical and advocacy groups that school safety exercises should strengthen preparedness without exposing learners and teachers to unnecessary trauma.
Nationwide drill moved to September
The nationwide active-attack safety drill was originally scheduled for August 25. DepEd, however, postponed the exercise to the first week of September 2026.
The postponement came amid concerns from child and adolescent mental-health experts and the suspension of face-to-face classes in several areas because of inclement weather. DepEd said the additional time would allow authorities to align the exercise with recommendations from experts in weather preparedness, disaster response, child protection and psychosocial support.
DepEd has emphasized that the revised exercise should be age-appropriate and trauma-informed, focusing on practical protective actions, communication, coordination, accountability and recovery rather than graphic or hyper-realistic simulations.
Why the drill became controversial
The planned exercise drew criticism from the Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA) and the Philippine Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (PSCAP).
The two groups urged DepEd to defer live-shooter simulations, arguing that preparedness exercises should be based on evidence and designed to avoid unnecessary psychological harm.
They distinguished these exercises from routine earthquake and fire drills, which they said remain necessary and beneficial. They also pointed to recommendations favoring alternatives such as tabletop exercises, where school personnel can walk through hypothetical emergency scenarios without staging a realistic attack.
The groups also recommended that schools consider the needs of learners with disabilities, sensory-processing concerns and previous traumatic experiences when developing emergency exercises.
PNP says preparedness remains the priority
Despite the controversy, the PNP has maintained that school safety preparedness is essential.
Before the postponement, the police organization had committed personnel and resources to support the DepEd exercise. Police were expected to coordinate with school officials, local government units and barangay authorities on emergency response, communication and other measures.
DepEd officials previously said the exercise was intended to help students, teachers and parents understand how to respond if an active threat occurs, including how people would communicate and where they would go during a reunification phase.
The nationwide initiative follows several recent incidents that heightened concern over school security, including a June shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City and an August 18 shooting at Ateneo de Zamboanga University. Reports said the incidents collectively resulted in the deaths of five students.
A different kind of school safety drill may be coming
With the exercise now moved to September, the focus is shifting from simply conducting a nationwide drill to determining how such drills can prepare schools without traumatizing the very students they are designed to protect.
The PNP said it will continue providing technical assistance to DepEd, including exploring “non-traumatic approaches” to school preparedness.
Nartatez said the postponement gives authorities time to align the exercises with expert recommendations, with learner welfare remaining central to the evolving safety measures.
The coming weeks could therefore determine whether Philippine schools adopt a more practical, age-appropriate model of active-threat preparedness—one that emphasizes coordination, communication and protective actions rather than realistic portrayals of violence.
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