Public urged to join Metro-wide quake drill on July 30

ALONG with its launch of the website for the metro-wide earthquake drill, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) encouraged on Wednesday organizations, schools, businesses and agencies to sign up and participate in the Metro Manila ShakeDrill on July 30.

In an announcement on the newly launched website metromanilashakedrill.com , the agency called for multi-sector cooperation for the disaster-preparedness simulation which is expected “to increase the metro’s chances of better recovery and implementation of contingencies in the event of earthquakes.”

To register, organizations are asked to go to the sign-up tab, fill in the organization type (school, NGO, government, etc.), address, number of participants and contact details.

MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino told the Phillippine Daily Inquirer that registered participants would be provided guidelines on what to do and would also be trained by the agency, although  also be given training by the agency, although details have not been announced.

“We will give them guides on what to do based on different earthquake scenarios,” the MMDA chair added, noting that more information on the earthquake drill would be available on the website in the coming days.

In a meeting with Metro Manila mayors last week, Tolentino announced the holding of a metrowide earthquake drill for one hour only starting at 10:30 a.m. on July 30 and not from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. as earlier announced.

Asked why the drill would only last for an hour, Tolentino said the longest earthquake drill was done for two hours in California and that they did not want to exceed that.

“According to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), their longest earthquake drill only lasted 15 minutes but it would take longer to conduct rescue operations after the quake,” he added, noting that all participants of the drill should have a briefing prior and an evaluation after.

Upon consultation with the metro mayors, Tolentino explained that power supply and communication lines would not be cut, although he said they would have the simultaneous sounding of sirens and bells in the metro.

“We expect the all-out participation of all schools, hospitals, malls, call centers and offices for this metrowide earthquake drill,” he said.

In Pasig City, the drill will be done on the same date but will be held at night time from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

“Pasig will be highlighted as an LGU that will be conducting a night time drill at the central business district,” said Tolentino, adding that they have been planning to conduct this drill yearly every July 30.

He explained that only Pasig City was chosen to have a night time drill because of the LGU’s “willingness and readiness” and due to the presence of many high-rise condominium buildings, offices, schools and hospitals in its central business district.

Pasig City Mayor Maribel Eusebio said the night-time scenario would involve attending to 100 casualties in the area of the drill.

“We want to see how we can respond to those who will be injured and how the police force, the Red Cross, the Bureau of Fire Protection and other concerned agencies will act in the event of a disaster,” Eusebio added.