ILOILO City – The city government’s latest earthquake drill revealed growing disaster readiness among employees but also exposed lapses in coordination and command structure that the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) is now determined to address.
While the city earned a commendable score of 85 out of 100 during the October 17 exercise, CDRRMO Disaster Response Division chief Darwin Papa said the drill underscored the need for stronger leadership presence and more disciplined employee participation.
“Operationally, the drill went well, but there’s still room for improvement — particularly in our command structure and the participation of some employees,” Papa admitted.
He emphasized that the Incident Management Group, which supervises emergency operations, must be reinforced to ensure smoother coordination and clearer lines of communication during crises.
“One area we want to improve is our command structure. We need to strengthen the Incident Management Group and add more marshals to help coordinate the evacuation efficiently,” he explained.
The citywide drill, which included both employees and transacting clients at the City Hall and Legislative Building, completed evacuation in around six minutes — a significant improvement from previous drills.
Papa credited the faster exit to the floor-by-floor evacuation approach, which minimized bottlenecks and confusion.
Still, he noted that some employees continued to treat the drill lightly despite repeated reminders about its life-saving importance.
“There were only minimal observations. It’s understandable that some are not yet taking it too seriously, but we expect that with our continuous conduct of drills, they will gradually realize the importance of preparedness,” he said.
To build on this momentum, the CDRRMO plans to institutionalize more frequent earthquake and fire drills in city offices and public spaces, aiming to cultivate a sustained culture of readiness.
“Every time we do this, we are building not just compliance, but a culture of safety,” Papa stressed. “Preparedness should be everyone’s responsibility, and the more we practice, the more resilient Iloilo City becomes.”/PN