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Back to headlinesAugust 24, 2026, 1:00 PM PHT

Education · School Safety

DepEd Postpones Nationwide Active-Threat School Drills to September

The education department moved the August 25 exercise to the first week of September and said the revised drill must be age-appropriate and trauma-informed.

By FMB News DeskPublished August 24, 2026, 1:00 PM PHT2 min read
FMB News editorial visual for the DepEd active-threat school drill postponementFMB News editorial visual
FMB News editorial visual accompanying the report on the rescheduled nationwide school safety drill; it does not depict the actual event.FMB News editorial visualLicense details

Why this matters to Filipinos

FMB News connects the verified facts and evidence in this report to the decisions, costs, opportunities, and risks that may affect Filipinos, Philippine communities, and the country.

Editorial standard: Sources are listed below. Verified reporting, attributed claims, uncertainty, and analysis remain distinct.

Verified facts

What happened

The Department of Education postponed the Nationwide Simultaneous School Safety Drill for Active Attack Incidents that had been scheduled for Tuesday, August 25, 2026.

DepEd said the activity would instead be held during the first week of September. The agency had not announced a specific nationwide date as of Monday afternoon.

Context

Context

DepEd said the additional time would allow the exercise to reflect recommendations from weather, disaster-preparedness, child-protection and psychosocial-support experts while safeguarding learners' physical and psychological well-being.

The Philippine Psychiatric Association and the Philippine Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry had urged the government to avoid hyper-realistic simulations. DepEd said the rescheduled drill would be age-appropriate and trauma-informed, focused on basic safety, communication and recovery, without graphic or theatrical scenarios that could cause unnecessary fear.

Filipino relevance

Why this matters

School emergency preparedness must teach clear protective procedures without creating avoidable psychological harm. The postponement gives education and safety officials time to reconcile operational readiness with child-welfare guidance.

What to watch next

What to watch next

Watch DepEd for the final nationwide date, detailed mechanics and guidance showing how schools should conduct active-threat exercises without graphic or hyper-realistic simulations.

Sources and public record

Philstar.com: Nationwide active-attack school drills postponed to September (August 24, 2026, 11:28 AM PHT)ABS-CBN News: DepEd postpones nationwide 'live-shooter' drills: 'Nakikinig kami sa mga eksperto' (August 24, 2026, 9:17 AM PHT)