As part of actions to address school violence.
The Department of Education (DepEd) has announced that the National Simultaneous School Safety Drill will finally push through on September 3 (Thursday).
The agency told that this will focus on the preparedness of schools in the event of an active threat while ensuring the well-being of participants.
The rescheduled drill, according to DepEd, is the result of continued engagement with partners in the medical and mental health fields, including the Philippine Psychiatric Association, Philippine Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, and Philippine Pediatric Society.
This was done to ensure that safety protocols are based on child-centered and trauma-informed standards under the “Do No Harm” directive.
Education Secretary Sonny Angara stressed that physical security and mental health should be considered dual priorities in school policies.
“Safety is not just about physical security; it is equally about protecting our children’s peace of mind. We are working closely with our medical experts and psychiatric societies to ensure our shared priority for the total well-being of our children remains at the center of our implementation,” Angara said.
He noted that for September 3, they aim to build calm operational confidence and muscle memory through proper orientation, highlighting that preparedness saves lives and trauma-informed execution protects learners.
Prior to the exercise, participating schools will conduct preparations, including a school readiness assessment, capacity-building training for teachers, and age-appropriate orientation for students.
Meanwhile, to enhance psychological preparedness and avoid any shock, school leaders and teachers are required to provide advance notice to students, parents, and staff.
Schools are also required to obtain written parental consent and assent from students prior to participation.
For students identified as needing additional protection or whose parents request accommodations will be provided with safe alternative activities without punishment or discrimination.
Classes are directed to conduct step-by-step drills on basic safety measures—such as securing doors, quietly hiding away from windows, and checking exit routes—while taking into account students with special needs, disabilities, or sensory sensitivities.
Under existing disaster risk reduction guidelines, the DepEd clarified that any element that is too realistic or frightening will be strictly prohibited in the said drill.
Among those that are prohibited are threat simulations, role-players acting as aggressors, use of knives or blunt weapons, and graphic elements such as guns, fireworks, simulated gunshots, or simulated injuries.
Instead, a separate signal—different from the earthquake or fire alarm—will be used to start the activity.
To maintain a healthy environment, designated guidance personnel and school health officers will provide Psychological First Aid (PFA) and debriefing sessions after the drill.
Schools will also establish a clear referral mechanism to DepEd Schools Division Offices (SDOs), local government units (LGUs), and health facilities for students who require specialized mental health care.
The collaboration with the Philippine National Police (PNP) will focus only on security outside the school premises, emergency notification systems, and post-incident monitoring of students.
Students will also practice compliance posture by raising their hands high, unclasped, and clearly visible to responding authorities during evacuation. Police officers are strictly prohibited from showing students tactical disarming drill or any aggressive behavior that is intimidating.
These preparations ensure that the drill on September 3 will serve as a practical and general basis to review and improve each school’s contingency plan.
“Bawat bata ay may kanya-kanyang antas ng katatagan at pang-unawa, kaya hindi pwedeng one-size-fits-all ang ating approach sa kaligtasan,” emphasized Angara.
INTENSIFIED ANTI-BULLYING CAMPAIGN
DepEd has likewise intensified its campaign against bullying, physical assault, and intimidation on campuses by implementing strict sanctions, including non-readmission, immediate expulsion from school, and mandatory referral to authorities for students with serious violations.
The unified protocols for the protection of students are contained in DepEd Order No. 006, s. 2026, or the Guidelines on Ensuring a Safe and Motivating Learning Environment (ESMLE).
According to DepEd, this campaign is being carried out in collaboration with partner agencies, local government units (LGUs), the police, and local communities.
“Nais natin magbigay ng pagkakataon para magbago ang ating mga mag-aaral, ngunit hindi natin kailanman ikukumpromiso ang kaligtasan ng nakararami. Ang paaralan ay dapat maging ligtas at tahimik na lugar para sa lahat,” said Education Secretary Sonny Angara.
Under the policy, various agencies will take immediate action when serious violations are recorded.
The school management shall directly coordinate with the Philippine National Police (PNP), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), LGUs, and communities to address safety threats, whether inside the school or online.
Once an incident of bullying or security threat is reported, the school’s Child Protection Committee must immediately investigate it to ensure the safety of the victim and provide psychosocial and mental health support.
Moreover, DepEd has also set appropriate sanctions based on the level of the violation.
- For First-level or minor infractions, a written reprimand, notification to parents, and guidance counseling will be imposed.
- For Second-level or serious offenses such as repeated bullying and online harassment, there will be a suspension of up to five days and mandatory referral to the DSWD for the first offense, non-readmission for the second, and direct exclusion for the third.
- For Third-level or high-risk acts such as severe physical assault, bomb threats, or dangerous hoaxes will result in immediate non-readmission for the first offense, permanent exclusion for the second, and formal referral of the case to the authorities.
School heads also have the power to impose a 30-day preventive suspension while an investigation is conducted, especially if the student poses an ongoing threat to campus safety.
For incidents of bullying, the process will beb more direct, with teachers told to directly handle and resolve bullying signals.
Meanwhile, for Second-level offenses that are harmful to other students and stakeholders, the Learner Formation Officer will intervene and make a recommendation to the school head, depending on the situation.
As regards to third-level offenses, these must be resolved by the School Head, who will also impose appropriate disciplinary action.
Although, at all levels, parents of the offending student are notified.
DepEd also clarified that under non-readmission, the student will not be allowed to enroll in the next school year but will complete the current year.
Meanwhile, in the case of exclusion, the student will be immediately removed from the school roll and will only continue his/her studies through alternative educational interventions.
Aside from administrative sanctions, the DepEd emphasized that referral to external authorities could lead to potential criminal liability or custody intervention, depending on the severity of their wrongdoing.
Secretary Angara warned that the Department will strictly enforce its zero tolerance policy against any form of disorder and violence.
“Kung ang isang estudyante ay gagamit ng dahas, mananakit, magdadala ng patalim o baril, mag-aaksaya ng oras sa paggawa ng bomb threat jokes o pranks, o patuloy na mambubully ng kaklase, hindi natin ito papalampasin. Ipatutupad natin ang pinakamabigat na parusa kabilang ang pagpapatalsik sa paaralan at direktang pag-turnover sa mga awtoridad,” he stressed.
FAMILIES AS DEFENSE AGAINST CAMPUS THREATS
Angara has also tapped into families as the nation’s primary defense against campus threats by strengthening programs to empower parents and guardians to protect students, instill good manners, and combat bullying.
The education department is expanding the Kaagapay Program under DepEd Memorandum No. 002, s. 2026, along with its integration with the Parent Effectiveness Service (PES) Program under Republic Act No. 11908.
“Hindi natin kayang solusyunan ang karahasan sa mga paaralan kung sa loob lang ng classroom tayo kumikilos. Ang tahanan ang ating unang depensa,” Angara stated. “Kausapin natin ang ating mga anak araw-araw, pakinggan natin ang kanilang mga pinagdaraanan, at makipag-ugnayan tayo sa kanilang mga guro at paaralan.“
He further stated that parents and other parental figures or other members of the family must learn to notice red flags and changes in children’s behavior before it escalates to violence or bullying.
Thus, through capacity-building sessions, the Kaagapay Program provides parents with practical knowledge to identify red flags, address issues regarding children’s behavior, and directly communicate with the Child Protection Committees (CPCs) and guidance personnel of the school.
Furthermore, the DepEd is partnering with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to integrate the modules of the PES and Kaagapay Program—with the aim of addressing the root causes of violence, including mental health issues and the dangers of the internet.
The DepEd is already conducting the Strengthening Collaboration of Parents and Teachers on Learner Protection program from July to November in various regions.
The regions include the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR), National Capital Region (NCR), Cagayan Valley (Region II), Central Luzon (Region III), CALABARZON (Region IV-A), MIMAROPA (Region IV-B), and Bicol (Region V).
There will be session guides developed by the DepEd Bureau of Learner Support Services-Learner Rights and Protection Division in partnership with ChildFund Philippines, Stairway Foundation Inc., and Meta Philippines.
DepEd also said that a series of trainings will be conducted in collaboration with Stairway Foundation Inc. and Meta Philippines, where they will discuss key issues involving or affecting the youth—all aligned with the DepEd Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) and Kaagapay Program frameworks.
The list include Online Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children (OSAEC) and Child Sexual Abuse and Exploitation Material (CSAEM), bullying and cyberbullying prevention, and nihilistic violent extremism.
There are also parenting tools to ensure a healthy and nurturing home environment, technology-based tools for protection, as well as reporting and referral methods from home, school, and community.
Trained Regional and Division Learner Rights and Protection (LRP) personnel and Education Program Specialists in Values Education are expected to lead the training of facilitators at the division and school levels.
At the school level, DepEd is also working closely with Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs) and School Governing Councils (SGCs) to integrate education for parents into ongoing student protection measures and support broader home-school collaboration.
“Shared accountability ang pagprotekta sa ating mga mag-aaral. Sa pagtutulungan ng paaralan, magulang, at komunidad, masisiguro natin na ligtas, nababantayan, at may nagmamahal sa bawat batang Pilipino,” furthered Angara.
