Tsunami drill eyed in Olango

CEBU, Philippines – The Lapu-Lapu City government plans to conduct a tsunami drill in order to prepare residents in Olango Island for a possible seismic sea wave.

Andy Berame, deputy action officer of City Disaster management Office, said in a recent news conference that his team will hold a drill in Barangay Tingo next on March 8.

“The barangay may be vulnerable to tsunami because the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology recorded an earthquake off Camotes Island in 1920s,” Berame said.

Tingo, according to Berame, is one of the 11 barangays situated in the island of Olango reportedly facing Camotes Island.

Last year, around 60 city disaster responders were trained by skilled instructors of Metro Manila Development Authority on search-and-rescue skills both in water and collapsed buildings.

The training that took place within 11 days from November 26 to December 5 last year was supervised by Aldo Mayor, chief of Public Safety Department of MMDA.

Mayor Paz Radaza earlier said the city plans to get more equipment such as chainsaws, rubber boats, generator sets and communication gadgets intended for barangay use.

Lapu-Lapu City has been doing hazard-mapping for 30 barangays so that the city’s disaster management team can create contingency plans ahead of natural disasters.