Metro-wide quake drill on July 30 eyes 12M participants
The first ever Metro-wide earthquake drill on July 30 led by the Metro Manila Development Authority is looking into 12 million participants, or the city’s total population.
“The plan is to raise the level of preparedness and awareness so that in 2016, we will have a better drill, and an improved one in 2017 until we do it perfectly. There’s nothing wrong with being prepared,” MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino told reporters at Camp Aguinaldo after a meeting on disaster preparedness.
He said they had generated responses from various groups, including the education sector.
“[Department of Education] Secretary Armin Luistro has issued a memo circular that they will participate,” Tolentino said, adding the participation of schools was a big thing.
“In other countries, the students teach at home what they learned. The DepEd said that the drill will also be part of the homework of the students” he added.
Other sectors expected to join the drill are the religious, business, BPO, barangays, hospitals and government offices.
Tolentino said participation in the drill was not mandatory. Those who wish to join should log on to metromanilashakedrill.com.
Earthquake preparedness guide pamphlets for different sectors will be available in the website.
The drill was also eyeing 8,000 volunteers and so far 3,000 had signed up, Tolentino said.
On July 30, the Metro-wide earthquake drill with a simulated magnitude of 7.2 will start at 10:30 a.m.
An audio recording of an earthquake will be played on government radio stations that will signal the start of the drill. It is expected to last for an hour.
There will be different scenarios based on which quadrant of the city the citizens are in.
The western quadrant or the Camanava area will have to deal with a fire scenario; the northern quadrant or Quezon City will be assigned to a medical triage; the eastern quadrant or the Marikina and Pasig area will deal with fallen structures; and the southern quadrant or Villamor will focus on debris clearing.
