'RUN, HIDE, FIGHT': First 'active shooter' drill held in Manila campus

National

THE Department of Education (DepEd) conducted a first “active shooter” drill inside a school campus in Manila on Wednesday, July 15, 2026.

This initiative was rolled out after the deadly Tacloban City shooting incident that killed three students and injured twenty others, said DepEd in a report by Inquirer.net.

The Manila Science High School (MSHS) hosted the first National Safe Schools Summit and Safety Drill, simulating an attacker holding a plastic pistol and attempting to enter the school premises, with a team of police officers responding.

A total of 1,770 students participated in the simulation that adopted the “Run, Hide, Fight” protocol of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Homeland Security in the United States, which aims to heighten an individual’s chance of survival during shooting incidents.

According to Education Secretary Sonny Angara, these incidents are not DepEd’s sole fight, but a challenge that the agency, parents, families, communities, and local governments must face together to ensure that schools remain safe places.

However, rather than a “one-size-fits-all” approach, it was recommended for public schools to have evacuation plans and procedures that cater to their own community or school setting.

During the simulation on Wednesday, students and teachers were advised to lock and barricade entry points, switch off lights, put their gadgets on silent mode, and remain out of sight until it was declared safe.

Moreover, a “reunification area” should be designated in every campus, where they can gather once classrooms and buildings are “neutralized” from threat.

As part of the simulation, a session for contingency planning, psychological first aid, learner rights protection, and cyber safety were conducted.

Adopt-a-School Program and the Special Education Fund to enhance security measures on campus were also among the programs that were discussed.(Marry Ann Aquilla, UP Comm Intern)