ILOILO – The provincial government conducted its fourth-quarter earthquake drill on Tuesday morning to test its preparedness and efficiency in disaster response.
The drill, led by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) under retired police colonel Cornelio Salinas, involved provincial capitol employees and the transacting public. Evaluators from the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), Philippine Red Cross (PRC), and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) observed the exercise.
Salinas noted the employees’ attentiveness and seriousness, particularly in practicing the “duck, cover, and hold” technique, and safely evacuating to the designated area in front of the National Museum – Western Visayas Regional Museum.
“All our department heads and employees participated well. They executed the ‘duck, cover, and hold’ seriously,” Salinas told Panay News.
This drill, the last for 2024, was completed in approximately 30 minutes, significantly faster than previous exercises.
Salinas attributed the improvement to the employees’ familiarity with the evacuation process.
The scenario simulated two injured employees inside the capitol building during the earthquake. They were promptly assisted and transported to an ambulance for medical attention.
“This indicates a conditioned reflex among employees. Whether an earthquake happens or not, we are now ready,” Salinas said.
When asked to rate the drill, Salinas gave a 90 percent score, citing room for further improvement.
He also welcomed the OCD’s challenge to incorporate advanced scenarios in future drills, such as rappelling from the capitol building and conducting search-and-rescue operations in a simulated building collapse.
“These scenarios require extensive preparation, but we accept the challenge. We’ve successfully graduated from the full-quarter drills for 2024, and we aim to excel further next year,” he said./PN
