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Students of the Marikina Elementary School in Marikina City attend a two-hour class orientation before the formal school opening on August 23, 2023.
The STAR / Walter Bollozos
MANILA, Philippines — Leading mental health organizations are calling on the Department of Education (DepEd) to defer its scheduled nationwide active shooter simulations.
In a joint statement issued on August 22, the Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA) and the Philippine Society for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (PSCAP) expressed their opposition to DepEd’s memorandum mandating a “Nationwide Simultaneous School Safety Drill for Active Attack Incidents,” saying that violence drills can inflict lasting psychological harm on children without evidence that they are effective in saving lives.
"Current evidence does not show that these simulations reduce casualties or prevent incidents, while multiple studies demonstrate that they can cause lasting psychological harm across age groups,” the groups’ statement read.
Citing research by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine that found insufficient evidence that high-intensity simulations improve safety outcomes.
Furthermore, the groups pointed out to a study tracking 54 million social media posts across 114 schools, which recorded a 42% surge in stress and anxiety-related language and a 39% spike in depression-related language lasting at least 90 days after active shooter drills.
“The American Academy of Pediatrics (2020) cautioned against involving children in high-intensity shooter simulations and emphasized that deception should never be used. Professional consensus from NASP, NASRO, and AACAP (2026) likewise recommends banning hyper-realistic simulations, requiring advance notice, and embedding school mental health professionals in planning.”
DepEd has ordered all public and private elementary and secondary schools nationwide to conduct a simultaneous safety drill for active attack incidents on Tuesday, August 25.
Under a memorandum dated August 12, the DepEd said the drill will be held at 9 a.m. on Tuesday with schools instructed to follow their localized contingency plans for active attack incidents.
Recommendations
The medical associations recommended strengthening school safety through trauma-informed measures such as secured perimeters, controlled access points and advance notices developed in consultation with mental health professionals, rather than using conducting live active-shooter simulations.
They suggested adopting discussion-based tabletop exercises among staff and parents to walk through emergency scenarios without alarming students, while ensuring inclusive accommodations based on prior needs assessments.
To guide future policy, they also called for a joint task force comprising education and health agencies, as well as psychiatric organizations, to gather local data before implementing any nationwide mandates.
