The Department of Education (DepEd) is preparing schools nationwide for the National Simultaneous School Safety Drill for Active Attack Incidents on September 3, 2026, and teachers, school heads, and other school personnel are being encouraged to review the official preparation materials before the scheduled activity.
The nationwide drill was originally scheduled for August 25 but was postponed to September 3 because of prevailing weather conditions and the cancellation of face-to-face classes in several areas. DepEd has since confirmed that the nationwide activity will push through on Thursday, September 3, 2026, at 9:00 a.m.
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As part of the preparation, schools have access to materials concerning the School Contingency Plan for Active Attack Incidents, as well as an online video resource that teachers and school personnel can review before the drill.
Two Important DepEd Resources for the September 3 Safety Drill
For schools preparing for the nationwide exercise, two online resources are particularly useful.
1. DepEd School Contingency Plan Resource Folder
The Google Drive folder provided for the School Contingency Plan for Active Attack Incidents can be accessed here:
Open the DepEd School Contingency Plan Google Drive Folder
The folder can serve as a reference for school heads, teachers, DRRM coordinators, and other personnel as they prepare and review their school's localized contingency arrangements.
Schools should use the applicable materials together with their own approved and contextualized School Contingency Plan.
2. DepEd Active Threat Video
The video resource provided for the preparation is available on YouTube:
Watch the DepEd Active Threat Video
Teachers and school personnel can access the video before conducting their orientations and preparations for the September 3 drill.
Because the actual implementation must be based on each school's localized contingency plan, watching the video should be considered part of a broader preparation process rather than a substitute for school-level planning.
Why Teachers Should Review These Resources Before the Drill
The September 3 activity is designed to prepare education stakeholders—including learners, teachers, non-teaching personnel, school administrators, and partner responders—for appropriate safety and coordination procedures during an active attack or active shooting incident.
A DepEd division memorandum describing the nationwide exercise says the activity is intended to immerse education stakeholders in safety and coordination protocols for active attack or active shooting situations in schools.
This means preparation should happen before the actual alarm or drill begins.
Teachers should understand their responsibilities, know their school's procedures, and be prepared to explain the activity to learners in a calm and age-appropriate manner.
The School Contingency Plan Is the Foundation of the Drill
The School Contingency Plan for Incidents Involving Active Shooters is intended to provide schools with a framework for responding to armed threats within school premises or nearby areas.
The plan covers more than classroom lockdown.
It addresses areas such as preparedness, activation of the school's Incident Management Team, lockout and lockdown procedures, emergency communication, coordination with law enforcement, evacuation, post-incident recovery, psychosocial support, family reunification, and learning continuity.
Schools are expected to contextualize the plan according to their own setting, resources, learner population, physical facilities, local risks, and existing coordination arrangements.
This is particularly important because schools differ significantly in their campus layouts and surrounding environments.
Teachers Should Know Their School's Localized Procedures
Watching the video and reviewing the available materials are only the beginning.
Teachers should also review their school's own localized procedures.
Before the drill, teachers should know:
- The school's designated emergency signal
- Classroom lockdown procedures
- Designated safe areas
- Primary and secondary evacuation routes
- Assembly areas
- Learner accounting procedures
- Emergency communication procedures
- Family reunification arrangements
- Their specific responsibilities during the drill
- Who to contact when an emergency occurs
The objective is to make sure teachers are not learning their responsibilities for the first time when the drill begins.
The Drill Is Not Supposed to Frighten Students
DepEd has emphasized that the safety drill must follow child-centered, age-appropriate, trauma-informed, and “Do No Harm” principles.
The department has specifically reminded schools to avoid hyper-realistic or graphic simulations that could cause unnecessary fear or distress.
Schools should therefore avoid turning the exercise into a dramatic reenactment of an actual attack.
The purpose is preparedness.
Learners should understand what they are expected to do without being made to believe that an actual attacker is present.
What Schools Should Not Use During the Drill
The safety drill guidelines prohibit fear-inducing elements.
Schools should not use:
- Active aggressor role-playing
- Imitation firearms
- Bladed or blunt weapons
- Simulated casualties
- Simulated gunfire
- Loud pyrotechnics
- Graphic or frightening scenarios
This is especially important because students have different developmental levels and personal experiences.
A drill that is intended to teach safety should not create unnecessary trauma.
Parents and Guardians Also Have a Role
Preparation should include parents and guardians.
DepEd's guidance calls for advance notice to learners, parents, guardians, and school personnel so that the activity does not become an unexpected or surprise event.
Parents should understand the purpose, nature, sequence, and safeguards of the drill.
They should also have an opportunity to inform the school about circumstances that could make participation distressing or require reasonable accommodation.
Learners who need additional safeguards should not simply be required to participate in the same activity as everyone else.
Schools should determine appropriate accommodations and provide safe alternative activities when necessary.
Classroom Orientation Should Come Before the Drill
Teachers can use the days leading up to September 3 to conduct simple classroom discussions.
The discussion should focus on practical questions.
For example:
What does our emergency signal mean?
Where should we go if we are told to evacuate?
Where is the safest area in our classroom?
What should we do if we are instructed to remain inside?
How will our teacher account for everyone?
Where will we go after the drill?
These questions can help learners understand the process without exposing them to frightening scenarios.
The Drill Tests the Whole School Safety System
It is important to understand that the September 3 exercise is not simply a classroom activity.
The nationwide drill is intended to test and strengthen the coordination of the entire school community.
That includes school administrators, teachers, learners, security personnel, emergency responders, local government units, health personnel, and other partners.
Schools should be able to determine whether their communication procedures work, whether personnel know their responsibilities, and whether learners can be accounted for.
Emergency Communication Must Be Reviewed
Communication is one of the most important elements of any emergency plan.
Schools should review their emergency contact numbers and communication procedures before the drill.
The school should know who is responsible for activating the emergency signal, contacting authorities, communicating with school leadership, and coordinating with parents or guardians when appropriate.
Schools are also expected to coordinate with relevant agencies, including the Philippine National Police, local government units, disaster risk reduction offices, health offices, social welfare offices, and other appropriate partners.
Family Reunification Is Part of Preparedness
Schools should also review their procedures for safely reuniting learners with parents or authorized guardians.
A well-organized reunification procedure helps prevent confusion after an emergency.
The school should have a designated location and a system for accounting for learners and releasing them to authorized individuals.
Parents should understand that the reunification process may involve following instructions from school personnel and authorities rather than immediately entering the school campus.
What Happens After the Drill?
The preparation does not end once the exercise is completed.
Schools are expected to conduct an after-action review to determine what worked and what needs improvement.
School leaders and the Incident Management Team should examine questions such as:
- Did teachers understand their responsibilities?
- Did learners understand the instructions?
- Did emergency communication work?
- Were all learners accounted for?
- Were evacuation routes clear?
- Did the procedures work as intended?
- Did anything create unnecessary fear or confusion?
- Were learners requiring additional support properly accommodated?
- What should be changed in the localized contingency plan?
The answers should be used to strengthen the school's preparedness.
Watch and Review the Resources Before September 3
For teachers and school personnel preparing for the nationwide drill, the two online resources provide useful starting points for preparation.
Official Google Drive Resource Folder:
School Contingency Plan for Active Attack Incidents
YouTube Video:
Watch the DepEd Active Threat Video
Schools should review the available materials, coordinate with their Schools Division Office and local partners as appropriate, and make sure their localized School Contingency Plan reflects the actual conditions of their campus.
September 3, 2026: Preparedness Without Fear
The upcoming National Simultaneous School Safety Drill is an opportunity for schools to strengthen emergency preparedness and identify gaps in their existing safety systems.
But preparedness should never mean frightening learners.
DepEd's current guidance emphasizes that the exercise should remain child-centered, age-appropriate, trauma-informed, and consistent with the “Do No Harm” principle. Current reports also confirm that the September 3 nationwide drill will proceed as scheduled.
For teachers, preparation means knowing the school's procedures and responsibilities.
For students, it means understanding what to do and following instructions calmly.
For parents, it means knowing what the school is practicing and how learner safety and reunification will be handled.
And for school leaders, it means ensuring that the contingency plan is not merely a document but a practical system that can protect the school community when it matters most.
The September 3 drill is therefore not simply about conducting an exercise.
It is about building a school community that is prepared, coordinated, informed, and committed to protecting both the physical safety and emotional well-being of every learner.
Official Resources at a Glance
School Contingency Plan Google Drive Folder:
Access the DepEd resource folder
Active Threat Video:
Watch the YouTube video
National Simultaneous School Safety Drill:
September 3, 2026 — 9:00 A.M.