Provincial

4,855 SCHOOLS IN CENTRAL LUZON CONDUCT SAFETY DRILLS

admin November 13, 2026

BY KEVIN GALANG

CAMP OLIVAS, City of San Fernando, Pampanga — The Police Regional Office 3 (PRO3) has completed 100 percent of its target for school safety drills covering all 4,855 public and private schools across Central Luzon.

According to PRO3 director Brig. Gen. Jess Mendez, the accomplishment reflects the police force’s commitment to strengthening school security and emergency preparedness, in line with the directive of Philippine National Police chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr..

Based on the regional accomplishment report, PRO3 conducted safety drills in 3,873 public schools and 982 private schools across the region’s seven provinces and two highly-urbanized cities, leaving no remaining targets.

The highest number of completed drills was conducted in Nueva Ecija with 1,143, followed by Bulacan with 1,080 and Pampanga with 831.

Mendez said all Police Provincial Offices and City Police Offices in Central Luzon registered 100-percent compliance.

He said the drills were designed to prepare students, teachers and other school personnel for possible security threats and emergencies while strengthening coordination between school authorities and local police units.

The official stressed that achieving the 100-percent target should translate into actual readiness and the ability to respond promptly during emergencies.

“Reaching 100 percent is an accomplishment, but our real measure of success is how prepared our schools are when an emergency happens. Every student and teacher must know what to do, and our police units must be ready to respond without delay,” Mendez said.

He directed all police units to sustain their coordination with school authorities, regularly assess security measures and ensure that lessons learned from the drills are translated into practical preparedness.

“Our responsibility does not end with the drills. We must continue working with our schools to make sure that every child can learn in a safe and secure environment,” said/

The PRO3 top cop said the accomplishment underscores its continuing efforts to strengthen school safety, enhance emergency response capabilities and protect learners, teachers and school personnel throughout Central Luzon.