SAN JOSE, Antique – Local disaster management officials in Antique province plan to hold more earthquake drills.
They were heeding the recommendation of a multiagency evaluation team present during the fourth quarter National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) in this capital town Monday.
That day a magnitude 4.7 earthquake struck the province at around 7:45 a.m., its epicenter 5 kilometers southeast of San Remigio town, according to the United States Geological Survey. The drill was conducted an hour later.
Among the estimated 3,000 participants were Antique provincial capitol employees and Baybay Elementary School pupils.
According to the regional evaluators, there is a need to conduct more such drills, said Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office head Broderick Train.
“We had the NSED in the province on Nov. 5 so the regional evaluators could make recommendations on how we could further strengthen our disaster response,” said Train.
Train agreed with the evaluators. According to the local official, the last time an earthquake drill was conducted among capitol employees was around five years ago.
The evaluation team comprised representatives from the regional offices of the Office of Civil Defense, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Philippine National Red Cross, among others.
Meanwhile, Sibalom Municipal DRRMO head Joel Odango said they conduct earthquake drills every quarter and whenever barangays request assistance for the holding of such activity in their communities.
“We have our quarterly earthquake drills on the directive of the Office of Civil Defense,” said Odango.
But Odango also admitted they need to conduct more drills as frequent as they can at the municipal hall and in schools. (With Philippine News Agency/PN)
