ILOILO — Western Visayas’ emergency response system will be put through a major real-world stress test this Wednesday as more than 30 government, healthcare, private and humanitarian organizations confront a simulated mass-casualty highway crash complicated by a hazardous chemical spill in Oton, Iloilo.
The full-scale exercise will test not only how quickly responders can rescue, triage and decontaminate victims but also whether different agencies can operate under a unified command, and whether Iloilo hospitals can cope with a sudden influx of patients during a complex disaster.
Dubbed PROJECT MedX: Western Visayas Emergency Medical Simulation Exercise (SimEx), the drill will be led by the Asia-Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management Philippines (A-PAD PH) today, September 9.
The disaster scenario will unfold along the Circumferential Road and Bypass Road in Barangay Pakiad, Oton, with Oton National High School serving as the medical staging area.
Responders will face a simulated catastrophic collision involving a commercial chemical tanker truck and several passenger vehicles, forcing them to deal simultaneously with traumatic injuries and hazardous chemical exposure.
The exercise is designed to expose weaknesses in response speed, resource deployment, communication and coordination among government agencies, hospitals and private organizations before an actual large-scale emergency occurs.
Among the key areas to be evaluated is Incident Command System integration, particularly the ability of municipal response units, provincial offices and private institutions to operate under a standardized and unified command structure.
Responders will also be tested on hazardous materials or HAZMAT containment and safety protocols, including rapid chemical risk assessment, isolation of hazardous zones, victim decontamination and real-time communication of risks.
The simulation will assess mass-casualty triage, technical vehicular extrication and field stabilization of victims.
Another crucial component will be medical surge and inter-hospital coordination, with simulated patients directed to public and private hospitals to determine the region’s capacity to manage a sudden increase in casualties and efficiently transport patients.
A-PAD Philippines said disasters can overwhelm regional medical systems because of limitations in surge capacity and gaps in communication.
PROJECT MedX seeks to address these vulnerabilities by bringing medical professionals, government agencies and emergency responders together under a common operational framework before an actual disaster strikes.
The Western Visayas exercise follows a PROJECT MedX simulation conducted in Central Luzon in July 2026, which involved a magnitude 6.8 earthquake scenario in San Fernando, Pampanga.
Unlike the earthquake scenario, the Iloilo exercise shifts the focus to chemical and transport-related hazards along high-risk road corridors in Western Visayas.
The exercise is organized by A-PAD Philippines in partnership with the Iloilo Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), UP Resilience Institute, UP Manila DRRM-Health and the Municipality of Oton.
Among the participating government and disaster response agencies are the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), Iloilo PDRRMO, Provincial Health Office of Iloilo, Philippine Information Agency and Philippine Military Academy.
Municipal disaster response offices from Oton, Pavia, Tigbauan, Tubungan, Igbaras, San Joaquin, Miag-ao and Guimbal will participate, along with the Urban Search and Rescue team of the Iloilo City DRRMO.
The Bureau of Fire Protection and Iloilo Citizens Action Group Volunteer Fire Brigade will take part in fire and technical rescue operations.
Major hospitals and healthcare institutions participating include Western Visayas Medical Center, West Visayas State University Medical Center, The Medical City Iloilo, St. Paul’s Hospital Iloilo, Healthway Hospital by Qualimed, Metro Iloilo Hospital and Medical Center and Iloilo HMO.
Academic, business and civic organizations are also joining, including the University of the Philippines Visayas, Iloilo Science and Technology University, Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry-Iloilo, One Network Philippine Initiatives, Ugyon Youth Organization Inc., Oton National High School and the Iloilo Province Press Corps.
Before the live simulation, participating responders underwent specialized workshops aimed at aligning their safety protocols and operational tactics.
Findings from the exercise will be used to identify gaps and refine disaster preparedness policies and standard operating procedures across Western Visayas.
A-PAD Philippines is a non-stock, non-profit organization and the Philippine platform of the Asia Pacific Alliance for Disaster Management, a transnational disaster aid alliance promoting cooperation among government, civil society and the private sector in disaster preparedness and response./PN
