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Friday, March 29, 2024

MMDA to hold ‘shake drill’ anytime this week

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General manager Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. of the Metro Manila Development Authority on Saturday urged various sectors in the National Capital Region to join and take seriously this year´s shake drill, an annual event to prepare the people in case of a big quake.

The MMDA also asked the public to take the event as an opportunity to enhance their earthquake preparedness that is not staged or scripted.

“Preparations were well-coordinated during the three previous drills— there were actors, directors, scenarios. But this time, it would be different as no one can predict when earthquake can happen,” said Garcia.

The exact date of the drill will not be announced. But the MMDA stated it is set at 3 pm any day this week.

“We are urging everyone to participate in the drill, wherever you are, no matter what you are doing. We want to make actions more spontaneous as possible,” Garcia said.

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Telecommunication companies have been tapped to provide text blast messages to its subscribers five minutes before the actual drill.

 “The trigger simulating the occurrence of a strong earthquake will be the cell broadcast of telcos and audible signals from sirens of emergency vehicles, building public address systems, church bells and others,” said Garcia.

Radio stations will also inform the public about the shake drill by sounding an alert.

“This will be the signal for everyone to drop, cover and hold. Everybody can then practice their respective evacuation plans,” Garcia added.

Government agencies, local government units, particularly disaster risk reduction and management council personnel, are urged to implement their contingency plans.

Organizations are also given the chance to do response capacity demonstrations which are aligned with the activity.

The MMDA created Earthquake Contingency Plan or Oplan Metro Yakal Plus, a Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council’s response tool based on the 7.2 Magnitude movement of the West Valley Fault (WVF) with Intensity 8 ground shaking.

Under the Metro Yakal Plus, the MMDA is responsible for command and control and search and rescue operations if the Big One jolts Metro Manila.

The MMDA had conducted series of meetings with members of the Association of Barangay Chairmen in the 16 cities and one municipality in Metro Manila to encourage more people to participate in the annual shakedrill.

The event was organized in close coordination with local and regional disaster risk reduction management officers, public information officers in Metro Manila, and different media organizations.

During the series of coordination meeting, MMDA executives also encouraged participants to simulate a more realistic and new scenarios to challenge the disaster preparedness and response of every group.

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