PLAYFUL QUAKE DRILL Kindergarten students practice the “duck, cover and hold” moves at Mandaluyong Elementary School in preparation for the Metro Manila Shake Drill scheduled today, and the Big One, which may hit the metropolis anytime. LYN RILLON
There’s not a whole lot of real shaking going on, but a million volunteers will be out to help people who feel like rocking, rolling and running for dear life on Thursday, says the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
It’s the Metro Manila Shake Drill from 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.—an exercise to prepare for “the Big One”—a 7.2-magnitude earthquake on the West Valley Fault that the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) says is likely to hit the capital anytime.
MMDA Chair Francis Tolentino said that from an initial target of 8,000 volunteers, the Metro Manila Rescue Volunteer core, which is tasked to respond to disaster emergencies like earthquakes, had ballooned for the drill that was expected to draw some 6 to 7 million participants in a “duck, cover and hold” procedure.
In a statement, he said that the agency had enlisted 931,000 volunteers as of Tuesday night, a month after they first launched the website for earthquake preparedness and called for volunteers to augment the existing 6,000 MMDA rescuers plus the 1,000 volunteers from local government units.
Tolentino attributed the turnout of volunteer rescue workers to the success of the government in instilling “in the minds of the public the consciousness and culture of disaster preparedness and have little by little erased the state of panic in the event of a strong earthquake.”
“There is now a new shift of attitude or reorientation of values of our people toward civic or social responsibility. Although the July 30 drill is far from perfect, we are overwhelmed by the fact that different sectors of society have united to drum up support for the project, and as such, I am confident that the event is going to be an epic,” he added.
Last month, the MMDA said it would train an additional 8,000 volunteers to be part of its emergency rescue team to be fielded in Metro Manila’s four quadrants.
Voice recording
The drill will start with a 30-second voice recording broadcast with the MMDA and Phivolcs announcing the one-hour quake simulation.
In the audio message, Tolentino and Phivolcs Director Renato Solidum will inform the public that the sound of the sirens, ambulances and rumbling quake signals the start of the exercise simulating the movement of the West Valley Fault.
After the message, an audio of people screaming, sirens, ambulances, ground shaking , falling of buildings and explosions can be heard and everyone is expected to perform their 45-second drill while specific scenarios will be done in identified places on the four quadrants under Oplan Metro Yakal from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
The staging areas are the Intramuros golf course (fire scenario) on the west, Veterans Memorial Medical Center golf course (medical triage and relief operation) on the north, Villamor golf course (debris cleaning) for the south sector and the LRT 2 Santolan Depot (fallen structure) on the east.
The MMDA said that participating schools, malls, churches, government agencies, businesses and other organizations can also download the audio file from the Metro Manila Shake Drill website and play this on their public announcement systems during the drill.
For the nighttime drill on Ortigas Avenue, Pasig City, Tolentino warned the public that power will be cut in the area during the simulation from 8 to 9:30 p.m. He also advised motorists to expect heavy traffic along Julia Vargas to San Miguel Avenues and other portions of Ortigas.
Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr. on Wednesday issued a memo enjoining “all government departments, bureau and offices” in Metro Manila to participate in the drill.
He also encouraged the private sector like volunteer and civic organizations to take part.
Presidential spokesperson Edwin Lacierda urged the public to cooperate.
“I think it will be good and beneficial for all of us to be trained on how to respond to a situation like an earthquake,” Lacierda said.
“If in case the big thing—the Big One—really happens, we’ll be able to learn to adjust, or to learn how to react to a situation like putting on a second skin … (or) muscle memory,” he added.
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), likewise, called on Filipino Catholics to join the synchronized earthquake drill.
“Every Catholic should be a good citizen. It’s part of good citizenship to be involved on matters like this that will benefit the general welfare. That’s part of good citizenship and that’s part of good religion,” CBCP president Socrates Villegas said in an interview with reporters.
The Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) also is encouraging its member-schools to participate in the exercise.
The CEAP members have been conducting regular drills to ensure that teachers, students and other school personnel would know what to do should an emergency arise, according to Anthony Coloma, the CEAP’s advocacy and information management officer.
Coloma said the CEAP recently organized a forum on earthquake preparedness and emergency response.
The Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) said airport and railway operations will continue despite the drill.
No disruption
In a statement, the DOTC said operations will not be disrupted even as personnel for the Metro Rail Transit Line 3 as well as Light Rail Transit Lines 1 and 2 will participate in the drill.
The LRT 2 Depot in Santolan will also serve as one of the evacuation camps for the East quadrant, where mock exercises will be held, the DOTC said.
Apart from observing the 45-second “duck, cover, and hold” procedure once sirens sound off tomorrow, employees of the DOTC and its attached agencies have been implementing measures to ensure the safety and welfare of passengers in the event of a major earthquake.
The Manila International Airport Authority will distribute information campaign materials to passengers at all Ninoy Aquino International Airport terminals, although airline operations will not be interrupted.
The Philippine Coast Guard will deploy one search and rescue vessel, 50 rescue personnel, five rubber boats, medical teams and divers during the drill exercises. The Philippine Ports Authority offices and Port of Manila operators will also participate in the drill and assure passengers that minimal interruption in port operations will be felt. With reports from Jerry E. Esplanada, Miguel Camus and Tina G. Santos
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