All public schools were directed by the Department of Education (DepED) to hold unannounced earthquake and fire drills to help increase the awareness of learners and personnel on what to do when natural calamities occur.
Signed by Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte, DepEd Order No. 53 series of 2022 was issued requiring all schools to conduct unannounced earthquake and fire drills in schools.
Located within the seismically active Pacific “Ring of Fire,” DepED noted that the Philippines is prone to natural disasters and earthquakes. “These natural hazards, coupled with vulnerabilities, increase the risk of disasters in schools and communities,” the agency said.
DepED explained that aside from natural disasters, man-made catastrophes also “pose serious risks and threats to the safety and security” of the students, teachers, and other school personnel.
“Emergencies and calamities may strike anywhere and anytime,” DepED said. “Thus, having an effective preparedness plan is the key in preventing disasters and saving lives,” it added.
DepED stressed that local drills and simulation exercises are “preventive measures” that familiarize escape routes and reinforce proper actions in the occurrence of a calamity.
“Frequent practice of these drills and exercises would eventually turn these actions into automatic reflexes that would manifest during an actual calamity,” the department said.
Aligned with its commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of its learners and school personnel, DepED said that “all public schools are hereby required to conduct unannounced earthquake and fire drills every first and third week of every month.”
This directive, the agency explained, is under Republic Act (RA) No. 10121 or The Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010 which promotes the development of capacities in disaster management at the individual, organizational, and institutional levels.
DepED also instructed School Heads, with the assistance of School Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Coordinators, to spearhead the planning, implementation, and regular monitoring of these drills in their respective schools.
“These drills are to ensure that all learners are properly guided on what should be done during and after an earthquake or occurrences of fire in schools,” DepED noted.
Furthermore, DepED also directed all schools in the National Capital Region (NCR), Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, and Bulacan, to create a “separate and specific disaster plan” for a magnitude 7 or higher earthquake.
“The plan shall specifically lay down the response should there be a scenario involving mass casualties of learners and personnel,” DepED said.
Schools were instructed to refer to DepEd Order (DO) No. 27, s. 2015 or Promoting Family Earthquake Preparedness for materials that may be used by learners and their families as a guide in the preparation before, during, and after the occurrence of an earthquake.
Meanwhile, DepED said that private schools, community learning centers, as well as state/local universities and colleges (SUCs/LUCs) may “choose to adopt the provisions” of this DO as a basis in the conduct of their earthquake and fire drills for the disaster preparedness of their students.
Duterte ordered the “immediate dissemination of and strict compliance” with this newly-issued directive.