The Metro Manila Development Authority on Saturday urged various sectors in the National Capital Region to join and take seriously this year´s earthquake drill, which will be conducted at dawn on July 27, following a series of earthquakes that struck the Philippines, the latest of which hit Siargao in Surigao Saturday dawn.
The quake drill, which will start as early as 4 a.m., aims to inform the people about survival methods and the “do’s and dont’s” before, during and after the disaster.
At least 25 people were injured and homes and other buildings were damaged during the Siargao temblor that sent terrified residents fleeing their homes.
MMDA assistant secretary and spokesperson Pircelyn Pialago appealed to the public to take the event as an opportunity to enhance their earthquake preparedness.
“Let us all join this exercise as we try out our earthquake preparedness and capabilities at night. Earthquakes may occur anytime and it is best to be ready at all times,” said Pialago.
She said the event is an annual event initiated by the agency in line with the government efforts to sustain information campaign on the risks and dangers of a strong quake.
MMDA chief of staff Michael Salalima said they hope to elevate this year’s event with more realistic simulation of earthquake preparedness and response plans and protocols together with the local government units.
“We want to simulate how long it will take for all concerned agencies and units to get to designated emergency operations center and staging areas. For the first time, agency personnel and response teams will not come from the office but from their homes in wee hours,” said Salalima.
“We want to test everything time on target. Once the signal starts at 4 a.m., that’s the only time our people will move, set up communications and various resources.,” he added.
The MMDA also requested the participation of Manila Water, Maynilad, Meralco, Globe and Smart to provide them a semblance of close to life scenarios to be staged for the drill.
The scenarios are based on studies that there will be more casualties during the evening where everyone’s mostly home than daytime when most people are in the schools or offices.
“And for the first time also, we are seeing a wider and full participation of the private sector with no less than the Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and National Resilience Council leading the initiatives,” Salalima stated.
The MMDA is also coordinating with the National Telecommunications Commission and telecommunication companies Globe, Smart and Sun for the short messaging service (SMS) that will be sent to the public informing them about the start of the drill.
MMDA general manager Jose Arturo Garcia Jr. said shake drills in the past years were done during daytime and even on rush hours with last year leveling up to an unannounced, rush hour daytime drill.
“For this year, it will be done on a weekend and at almost the break of dawn when most Metro Manila residents are at home and asleep. We are doing this to prepare everyone to minimize damage and loss of life,” Garcia said.
“We expect more active and full participation of the private sector as government’s partner in disaster and emergency preparedness and response for Metro Manila,” he added.
The MMDA will practice the deployment of personnel to designated emergency operation centers located at the four quadrants in Metro Manila.
When earthquake strikes, the MMDA advises the people to duck or drop to the floor before the shaking knocks them down.
In 2015, the local government of Pasig and the city’s Central Business District conducted a night earthquake drill, also in preparation for the “Big One,” a 7.2-magnitude earthquake predicted to hit Metro Manila.
Pasig City’s drill came after the MMDA conducted a metro-wide earthquake drill in the morning, and is the first night-time drill conducted in the city’s history
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology made a warning that the Valley Fault system might trigger a big quake.
Should the ‘Big One’ occur, which experts believe would happen anytime, there will be massive destructions in Metro Manila with 35,000 deaths in the first hour alone; over 100,000 injured, and at least 500 instantaneous fires.
The system is composed of two sections”•the 10-km. East Valley Fault which covers Rodriguez and San Mateo towns in Rizal, and the 100-km West Valley Fault that passes through 42 barangays in cities of Makati, Taguig, Marikina, Pasig, Muntinlupa and Quezon City, and 30 barangays in Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna.