The Davao City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO) will conduct the 5th City-Wide Full-Scale Earthquake and Tsunami “Shake Out” Simulation Exercise on July 25, in line with the National Disaster Resilience Month (NDRM).
Speaking during the I-Speak Media Forum on Thursday, Lyndon Ancajas, Acting Division Head of LECRD–Central 911 and Acting Overall CDRRMO Training Supervisor, urged Dabawenyos to actively participate in the drill, noting its importance in preparing communities for emergencies.
He said that based on previous drills, the public has become more receptive and adaptive in fulfilling their roles during simulations.
“We saw an increase in the interest to participate in disaster preparedness activities. Whenever there is an earthquake, you can see mostly that in schools, there is an increase of awareness and practice of doing the right things they need to do especially when there is a sudden event. The schools and the malls they are really trained and they are doing the right things like duck, cover, and hold and the proper execution of their evacuation and their medical teams are also on standby whenever there are earthquakes,” Ancajas said.
He added that they have seen the positive impact of regular drills on disaster preparedness and awareness, as fewer people panic during actual earthquake events.
The city held its first full-scale earthquake and tsunami drill in 2017, excluding the years during the pandemic.
Ancajas acknowledged that the perfect execution of the “duck, cover, and hold” protocol and evacuations remains a challenge but this is precisely why the drill is being conducted annually.
He reminded the public that the CDRRMO merely facilitates the drills, but the real participants are the members of the community.
In line with the NDRM, the CDRRMO will also organize townhall sessions with barangay officials, where representatives from national and local government agencies will give inputs on budget utilization, guidance on suspension of classes, monkeypox updates, new COVID-19 variants, and camp management and coordination during disasters and emergencies.
Additionally, the office will conduct a blood donation drive and a tree-planting activity to mark the month-long observance.
Ancajas once again invited Dabawenyos to join the Shake Out drill, which will begin at 9 a.m. on July 25. CIO
