NDRRMC leads tabletop exercises for Metro-wide shake drill on July 30

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) conducted tabletop exercises Tuesday to prepare for the metro-wide "shake drill" this Thursday designed to ready people and coping systems for a magnitude 7.2 earthquake in Metro Manila.

 

GMA News'  “Balitanghali” noontime newscast on Tuesday said  the exercises ironed out details of Thursday's metro-wide shake drill which the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will oversee.

 

It also included assumptions of general scenarios such as casualties, damage predictions and areas of assignment to ensure efficient arrival of government support to affected areas.

 

NDRRMC Usec. Alexander Pama led the exercises which integrated the National Disaster Preparesness Plan and the Oplan Metro Yakal.

 

Pama mentioned that Region 3, particularly the Clark Air Base will be the staging ground and center for operations.

 

There will also be four areas in Metro Manila named the Quadrant Sectors that will become the main evacuation sites: the Wack Wack Golf course in Madaluyong, Veteran's Hospital in Quezon City, Villamor Air Base in Pasay City and Intramuros, Manila.

 

The exercises were attended by the regional heads of the Office of Civil Defense who are tasked to spearhead response, relief and rebuilding efforts.

 

International humanitarian agencies like UNICEF, UN Development Programme, Red Cross and the Japan International Cooperation Agency also participated.

 

The metro-wide shake drill this Thursday will begin at 10:30 a.m. throughout the entirety of Metro Manila, and at 8:00 p.m. in the Ortigas business district.  — Andrei Medina/ELR, GMA News