The Pasig City Disaster Risk and Reduction Management Office (CDRRMO) assured citizens that they are maximizing efforts to prepare for the inevitable "Big One," as the city participated in the Second Quarter National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) on Thursday morning, June 9.
"We are getting ready. Like any local government unit (LGU), we can't say we're fully prepared for all the outcomes. But what we're doing right now is revisiting the contingency plans for earthquakes, floods, fire, as well as the public service continuity plan," said Bryant Wong, head of Pasig CDRRMO, in an interview with DZRH.
Around 44 schools, local government offices, some private establishments, the local city fire station, and the Pasig City Police Station (CPS) participated in the drills, demonstrating the "duck, cover, and hold" when the bells rang at exactly 9 a.m.
Similar to other LGUs, calamity drill simulations have been hampered by the pandemic, challenged by social distancing rules. This is why, Wong said, plans for evacuation need to be revisited to adjust to the new normal.
In a city that houses many high rise buildings, Wong said owners and tenants of these buildings are coordinating with their respective barangays to request and conduct their own individual earthquake drills under the supervision of the CDRRMO.
"Drills are very vital. We encourage all to participate in drills so we can know what to do when the "Big One" comes," he added.
The CDRRMO is purchasing new equipment and determining strategic locations to establish sub-stations to maximize the city's disaster response mechanisms, he added.
Since majority of the city's funds were diverted to the Covid-19 pandemic response, the CDDRMO's programs were halted, and quarantine or isolation may have led to citizens neglecting or forgetting the calamity protocols, Wong explained.
To make up for the lapses in the past two years, Wong called for the need to expand information, education, and communication (IEC) campaigns in the city.
The NSED was led by the Office of Civil Defense, and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). The virtual-held program started at 8 a.m. and the actual drills at 9 a.m.
The NSED aimed to exercise and test institutions, offices, and schools' preparedness for both low and high impact earthquakes, their response to these calamities, and awareness of the necessary protocols.
The first quarter NSED was held last March 10.