Stressing disaster preparedness must start in the community, Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko Moreno" Domagoso tasked the chairmen of the city's 100 zones to come up with their respective community-based preparedness plans and hold regular disaster preparedness exercises to ensure the safety of their constituents when a disaster, such as earthquake, strikes.

In his meeting with the zone leaders on Tuesday, Oct. 21, Domagoso noted that despite the city government's boosting of its disaster response measures, true preparedness must begin at the grassroots level.

“Come up with a plan. Gumawa kayo ng paraan, paano natin mapapalabas ang taong-bayan at maging bahagi sila ng kasanayan (Find a way on how we can encourage the public to be a part of our exercises)," he said, adding that everyone must prepare for any eventuality, most especially the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that may hit Metro Manila anytime which is known as "The Big One."

“Mga siyentipiko na ang nagsasabi na magkakaroon ng casualty. The problem is the numbers, the projected numbers in Metro Manila, eh medyo hindi maganda (Scientists are already saying that there will be casualties. The problem is the numbers. The projected numbers in Metro Manila are not very good)," he stressed.

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology's (Phivolcs) 2004 study of "The Big One" projected that hundreds of thousands of people in Metro Manila and nearby provinces will be killed and injured once the tremor strikes.

The mayor reminded the zone chairmen that public service demands both courage and sacrifice, particularly during disasters.

“Tayo’y may pamilya, walang masama na isiping unahin natin sila. Pero at the end of the day, may obligasyon tayo sa taong bayan. Sometimes, pamilya natin ang nasasakripisyo (We have our own families and there's nothing wrong with thinking that we should put them first. But at the end of the day, we have an obligation to the people. Sometimes, it's our family that gets sacrificed)," Domagoso said, as he encouraged the zone leaders to begin small but coordinated efforts by holding dialogues with barangay officials and residents to determine possible response mechanisms.

“Kayo na ang tinap ko para sa gano’n, malaman ninyo ano ba ang pwedeng gawin ng bawat sona, in unison. Doon tayo magsimula, sa nucleus (I have tapped you all so that you know what each zone can do, in unison. Let's start there, at the nucleus)," he added.

He also advised them to organize zone-level earthquake drills at varying times of the day to simulate real-life unpredictability.

Domagoso had previously ordered the conduct of a city-wide simultaneous earthquake drill in Manila's barangays as part of the city government's expanded preparations for disasters and calamities.

The drill will soon be conducted in all 896 barangays of the Capital City and is designed to simulate real-world disaster scenarios.

The said initiative ensures that every barangay is ready to respond swiftly and effectively during crises.

He said the Manila City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MCDRRMO) will lead and coordinate the city’s preparedness efforts for the large-scale drill.

The agency said the exercise aims to enhance the readiness and coordination of all stakeholders in responding to earthquake, tsunami, and flood emergencies within Manila.