‘Patay ka na’ — The quake drill’s lighter side

Victims rising from the dead, Filipino humor, selfies and pick-up lines from government officials are just some of the things that made participants laugh during the Metro Manila Shake Drill on Thursday.

READ: ‘Drop, cover, hold … and take selfie! WTF!’

With thousands of government agencies and organizations participating in the metro-wide earthquake drill, Filipinos just couldn’t resist joking or posting on social media.

At the Supreme Court, an employee pretending to be a cadaver “rose from the dead.”

“There is one more missing,” a security personnel announced minutes after an alarm broke out, signalling the start of the drill.

The SC Emergency Response Team (SC ERT) worked their way back to the cafeteria where there was a supposed explosion because of the simulated earthquake.

The team assisted several wounded individuals before eventually “recovering” the missing body.

“Patay na. Sa canteen. Ito yung pangalawa (He’s dead. From the canteen. This is the second one),” one of the SC ERT members shouted.

Suddenly, the “dead” person smiled and grabbed the arm of one of his rescuers.

People outside broke into laughter shouting, “Patay ka na. Wag kang tatawa (You’re dead. Don’t laugh).”

At SM Megamall, drill organisers, employees and volunteers burst into cheers as soon as the last evacuee left the open parking space, which served as the temporary evacuation area.

The jubilant crowd was apparently celebrating a “successful” earthquake drill.

Some took “selfies” with fire trucks, fire volunteers and  army men.

Meanwhile, the SM communications team, who manned the command post accounting for “casualties,” huddled together then took a group picture for the smooth flow of the disaster drill.

At the House of Representatives, participants snickered when a male rescuer was asked to proceed with mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on a man who was among the make-believe victims.

By the end of the drill, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) chair Francis Tolentino was asked by a female reporter about why the exercise was important.

Tolentino smiled and in a lighter tone said, “Mahalaga dahil mahalaga ang buhay mo (It is important because your life is important.”

Tolentino later announced that the quake drill, which was supposed to help rescuers and the public to prepare in the event of a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Metro Manila, was a success.

He said a million Filipinos participated in the drill, which featured rappelling rescuers, fire trucks dousing imaginary flames, burning vehicles and thousands of people being taught to run, duck and cover. With reports from Nestor Corrales and Marc Jayson Cayabyab

Participants of the Metro Manila Shake Drill pose for a group photo by the end of the successful exercise. Photo by Julliane Love De Jesus/INQUIRER.net

Participants of the Metro Manila Shake Drill pose for a group photo by the end of the successful exercise. Photo by Julliane Love De Jesus/INQUIRER.net

Participants of the Metro Manila Shake Drill pose for a group photo by the end of the successful exercise. Photo by Julliane Love De Jesus/INQUIRER.net