NDRRMC holds Q3 nationwide quake drill

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) through the Regional DRRM Council of CALABARZON on Wednesday conducted the 3rd Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) with the ceremonial area at Strike Gymnasium in Bacoor City, Cavite. (Photo: NDRRMC/Facebook)

MANILA — The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) through the Regional DRRM Council of CALABARZON on Wednesday conducted the 3rd Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) with the ceremonial area at Strike Gymnasium in Bacoor City, Cavite.

At exactly 2 p.m., Civil Veterans and Retiree Affairs Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina, DRR and Climate Change Usec Renato Solidum, OCD CALABARZON Regional Director Olivia Luces, Province of Cavite Governor Jesus Crispin C Remulla and Vice-Governor Ramon Jolo B Revilla III and Bacoor City Mayor Lani Mercado Revilla joined in the ceremonial pressing of the button which signalled the conduct of the nationwide earthquake drill.

Officials, actors, responders and guests at the ceremonial venue performed the duck,cover and hold as an initial reaction from a magnitude 7.2 earthquake generated by the West Valley Fault.

Four local government units (LGUs) in Cavite portrayed a total of 18 scenarios to showcase the response capacities of the Province. Some of the scenarios were Emergency Medical Response (EMR), Search Rescue and Retrieval (SRR), Management of the Dead and Missing (MDM), chemical decontamination, fire suppression, and camp coordination and management. Also, part of the earthquake drill was the setting up of an Emergency Operations Center, Incident Command Post and conduct of Rapid Damage Assessement and Need Analysis.

Aside from enhancing community preparedness, the 3rd Quarter NSED also seeks to test the interoperability of DRRM Councils from the National down to the Municipal level.

“Ang pakikiisa sa mga pagsasanay katulad nito ay isang mahalagang hakbangin sa paghahanda lalo na sa isang malakas na pagyanig. Patuloy nating huhubugin ang ating mga plano at sistema kasabay ng ating panawagan sa paghahanda ng bawat indibidwal at pamilya,” said Usec Ernesto G Carolina.

Local drills were conducted nationwide through the Regional Civil Defense Offices and DRRM Councils.

Meanwhile, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Danilo Lim stressed the importance of raising public awareness on disaster preparedness as the agency participated in the 3rd Quarter National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill led by the NDRRMC Wednesday.

The drill aims to simulate scenarios and response in case a magnitude 7.2 earthquake strikes Metro Manila and its surrounding areas.

“Everyone should seriously engage in the shake drill because lives are at stake here,” Lim said in a statement.

MMDA employees participated in the quake drill, executed the “duck, cover and hold” maneuver and followed the agency’s evacuation plan.

The quarterly nationwide earthquake drill was originally set on Sept. 21 but was postponed due to President Rodrigo Duterte’s declaration of National Day of Protest and suspension of classes and work in government offices.