Gov’t to conduct nationwide earthquake drill

Defense Secretary and NDRRMC Chairperson Voltaire Gazmin. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council will conduct a nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill on Monday, June 10.

Defense Secretary and NDRRMC Chairperson Voltaire Gazmin will lead the event at the village of San Vicente, San Manuel town in Pangasinan.

To join Gazmin are Civil Defense Administrator and NDRRMC Executive Director Usec. Eduardo del Rosario, Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Director Renato Solidum, and local officials led by Pangasinan Governor Amado Espono and San Manuel Mayor Alain Jerico Perez.

“The drill shall include San Roque Dam in its scenario and aims to gauge the response of the local government and surrounding communities,” the NDRRMC said.

This is part of the on-going disaster preparedness activities of the NDRRMC, it added.

A 5.6 magnitude quake hit Cotabato twice over the past few days, which left it under state of calamity.