MMDA hoping to surpass 6.5M joiners in 2016 Shake Drill

MANILA — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is counting on more residents to participate in Wednesday’s metro-wide shake drill, or the simulation of emergency response, rescue and relief operations in case of a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in the metro.

MMDA Chair Emerson Carlos said during the agency’s weekly radio program that they were hoping to engage the 14 million residents in the metropolis and surpass the  6.5 million participants for the very first metrowide shake drill in 2015.

“We are hoping that everyone will take part this year,” Carlos said, noting that local government agencies, schools, BPOs, hospitals, businesses and even villages would participate during the drill on Wednesday (June 22), beginning at 9 a.m.

Just like last year, radio stations will broadcast an earthquake alarm while bells, alarms and sirens will also go off to signal the beginning of the simulation.

Everyone is asked to perform the duck, cover and hold before evacuating their work places and proceeding to open areas near their location. Motorists on the road should be prepared to stop when the simulation starts.

The MMDA said all vehicles need to stop for a minute when they hear the sirens and alarms. Those using the tunnels or roads under flyovers are advised to keep going since these structures may fall on them. Traffic lights along major roads will also flash for 1 minute.

For residents at home, they are asked to perform the duck, cover and hold then evacuate to the nearest open area in their vicinity.

Despite the simulation, the MMDA assured the public that communication and power lines would not be turned off for the event.  The MRT and LRT lines will also stop at 9 a.m. for the earthquake drill.

There will be various scenarios in different parts of the metro like the collapse of the Guadalupe Bridge in Makati City where some people will act as victims falling off the bridge to the Pasig River. There will also be rescuers who will search for survivors and save victims from drowning.

The MMDA said the Edsa Guadalupe Bridge northbound will be partially closed to traffic from 6 a.m. to 11 a.m. Motorists are advised to use C-5 via Kalayaan Avenue or McKinley Road.

Another scenario is along the South Luzon Expressway where the Alabang viaduct will also collapse.

“[We will also simulate] how relief goods will reach the east quadrant at the LRT 2 Station in Santolan, Pasig City,” the MMDA chief said, adding that a boat would be used to cross the Marikina River.

Along Marcos Highway in Marikina, there will be multiple collisions due to collapsed posts along the road.

The city government of Makati said they will have a high-ladder and rope safety rescue, as well as tanker fire suppression at the Makati City Hall on Wednesday.

The Oplan Metro Yakal, the earthquake-contingency plan of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), which divided the metro into four quadrants for faster response, will also be activated during the metrowide drill. Below are some of the command centers and evacuation sites for the four quadrants.

North Quadrant: (Caloocan, Valenzuela, Malabon and Quezon City)

Command center: Veterans Memorial Medical Center golf course

Evacuation sites:

UP Diliman campus, Quezon City
Three S Center, Agustin Street, Valenzuela City
La Loma cemetery, Samson Road, Caloocan City
Pinaglabanan Shrine, San Juan City
East Quadrant: (Marikina and Pasig City)

Command center: LRT Line 2 Santolan Station

Evacuation sites:

Ultra complex, Pasig City
Training Center, C. Raymundo St., Pasig City
Marikina Boys Town, Marikina City
Red Cross Compound, Marikina City
Marikina City Hall
West Quadrant: (Navotas, Manila and Pasay)

Command Center: Intramuros Golf Course.

Evacuation sites:

Cuneta Astrodome, Pasay City
University of Santo Tomas campus, Manila
Amphitheater near Malabon City Hall, Malabon City
South Quadrant: (Makati, Taguig, Muntinlupa, Paranaque, Las Pinas and the municipaliy of Pateros)

Command center: Villamor Air Base golf course.

Evacuation sites:

University of Makati complex, Makati City
Near Garden of Memories Cemetery, Bagong Kalsada, Pateros
Cayetano Science High School, Diego Silang St., Brgy. Ususan, Taguig City
Paranaque City Hall, San Martin de Porres St., Paranaque City
Sucat Posadas, Muntinlupa City,
Filinvest MTB Trail, Filinvest Avenue, Muntinlupa City
Sunken Garden at Gen. Paulino Santos Avenue, Muntinlupa City

The agency said that it would permanently place 20-foot container vans in the four quadrants in Metro Manila, to serve as command and control centers to facilitate faster deployment of rescue personnel.

The MMDA chief added that these vans would be filled with medicines, tents, rescue and emergency response materials and tents. The agency will deploy its personnel to man these containers 24/7.

The agency earlier announced that the simultaneous drill for this year will also include the nearby provinces of Cavite, Laguna, Bulacan and Rizal since they will also be affected by the movement of the fault line.

In July last year, the Metro Manila Shake Drill, which simulated a 7.2-magnitude, drew about 6.5 million participants. The agency said a strong movement from the West Valley Fault could happen and kill more than 30,000 people and destroy 170,000 houses based on  Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) studies.

Seventy-two barangays in the metro cities of Pasig, Quezon, Marikina, Makati, Taguig and Muntinlupa were identified to be above the fault line. SFM