ILOILO City – With the threat of a major earthquake ever-present, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is urging Ilonggos to actively participate in the Second Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) scheduled for Thursday morning, June 19.
Authorities emphasize that preparedness saves lives and that even a few seconds of trained response can make a crucial difference in the event of a seismic disaster.
The regional ceremonial drill site for Western Visayas will be the Tigbauan National High School in Tigbauan, Iloilo.
OCD-6 regional director Raul Fernandez stressed the importance of public participation, particularly in practicing the “Duck, Cover, and Hold” protocol that serves as the first line of personal defense during an earthquake.
“I am inviting everyone to simultaneously perform the Duck, Cover, and Hold drill and participate in the Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill on June 19 at 9 a.m.,” said Fernandez. “We are moving for a protected future. Remember, a prepared citizenry means a safer nation. In the Bagong Pilipinas, no one gets left behind.”
Fernandez also encouraged local government units (LGUs), schools, private institutions, and national agencies to organize their own earthquake drills or coordinate with LGUs to join community-based exercises.
The goal, he said, is to improve individual and institutional readiness and prevent panic when a real earthquake strikes.
In Iloilo Province, the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) under Cornelio Salinas is also calling on government employees, residents, and private offices to participate in the drill to be held at the Iloilo Provincial Capitol grounds.
“Let us take part in the Second Quarter NSED on June 19 at 9 a.m. Let’s do the Duck, Cover, and Hold together and unite in preparing against earthquake risks,” said PDRRMO in a statement.
To ensure smooth execution, PDRRMO, in coordination with the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), conducted a dry run last week simulating various emergency response scenarios. These included coordinated dispatch of ambulances, rescuers, and medical teams from the PDRRMO Operations Center at the Iloilo Sports Complex in La Paz.
During the First Quarter NSED in March, the PDRRMO drill lasted 37 minutes and focused on both training personnel and educating the public — particularly government employees and clients — on how to respond to different earthquake scenarios using realistic drills.
Meanwhile, the OCD Central Office also released a nationwide call for participation. The ceremonial “pressing of the button” will be led from the Dipolog City Sports Complex at exactly 9 a.m.
The national drill will test response to high-magnitude earthquake scenarios, including activation of Emergency Operations Centers, formation of Incident Management Teams, and handling of mass casualty and missing persons situations.
Other components include fire and hazardous materials response, oil spill management, water rescue, high-angle rescue, debris clearing, anti-looting protocols, aeromedical rescue, vehicle extrication, power restoration, and collapsed structure search and rescue (CSSR)./PN
