Iloilo City – The Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Office 6 (MGB RO-6, DENR joined thousands in observing the first nationwide earthquake drill simultaneously conducted nationwide at 2 pm today.
Employees of the MGB RO-6 did the “duck, cover and hold” technique as an initial response to a strong ground-shaking. For about 15-20 seconds, everybody inside their offices followed the 3-step response. Safety Coordinators assigned in each room then announced that it was safe to leave the room. Still covering their heads with their hands, the employees orderly went out of their rooms and those situated on the second floor went down using the stairs. They all converged in the temporary congregation area where the room coordinators head counted the room occupants. Engr. Joan V. Saycon, the Safety and Health Officer of the Office then lead a brief evaluation of the activity.
The nationwide earthquake drill is part of the continuing campaign of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the Office of the Civil Defense for earthquake preparedness and resilience. According to the NDRRMC, this is the first of the quarterly drills that will be conducted this year. (MGB RO-6)
