NDRRMC holds earthquake drills in schools

MANILA, Philippines - About 50,000 persons on Wednesday joined the first nationwide earthquake drill to be held since the deadly quake that hit the Visayas last October.

The 1st Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake drill was conducted in close to 20 different venues and involved all units of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

The exercise aims to test and improve the preparations of disaster response units and to promote awareness among stakeholders.

”For this quarter, the focus is on schools so that our students from both the high school and elementary levels will be aware of what they should do and where they should go (in the event of a strong earthquake),”  NDRRMC spokesman Maj. Rey Balido said.

“In the operations center, we tested our communication or what we called the redundancy of information. We don’t rely on just one medium for sending information. We use SMS, fax and social media to disseminate information and see how fast our regions can receive them,” he added.

The Bicol University in Legazpi City served as the ceremonial venue of the event. The drill in Legazpi City was witnessed by key officials including Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, NDRRMC Executive Director Eduardo del Rosario and Albay Gov. Joey Salceda. 

Drills were also held in Payocpoc Sur Elementary School in Bauang La Union; Lal-lo National High School in Lal-lo, Cagayan; Sindalan National High School in San Fernando, Pampanga; Bagong Nayon II Elementary and High School in Antipolo City; Odiongan Central Elementary School in Romblon; Rizal Elementary School in Bacolod City; Abellana National School in Cebu City; Southern Leyte State University in Inonangan, Southern Leyte; Zamboanga del Sur National High School and Zamboanga City State Polytechnic College in Zamboanga City; Northern Mindanao Medical Center in Cagayan de Oro; Sta. Ana Elementary School in Davao City; Ramon Magsaysay Memorial College in General Santos City; Butuan City Hall; Camp Siongco High School in Maguindanao; Rizal National High School in Baguio City and Bagong Silangan Elementary and High School in Quezon City.

In Metro Manila, the scenario used was a magnitude 7.0 earthquake with aftershocks.

Personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection, search and rescue and K9 teams were also involved in the exercises.

The nationwide earthquake drill was held five months after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake ravaged Bohol and other parts of the Visayas.

At least 222 persons died and 976 others were injured due to the incident.

The earthquake damaged P2.26-billion worth of roads, bridges and public buildings.  The figure does not include the decades-old churches that collapsed and antiquities that were destroyed with them.

The Philippines is vulnerable to earthquakes because it is located within the western segment of the so-called “Ring of Fire,” a part of the earth characterized by an ocean-encircling belt of active volcanoes and quake generators.