MMDA to conduct 3rd metro-wide quake drill in July

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Wednesday said it is planning to conduct its  third metro-wide earthquake drill in July in an effort to raise disaster preparedness in Metro Manila amid fears of the "Big One."

The "Metro Manila Shakedrill" will be held for five days, with July 14 to 18 as the proposed dates. Aside from Metro Manila, it will cover the nearby provinces of Bulacan, Rizal, Cavite, and Laguna.

The activity aims to raise awareness among the public and enhance their safety consciousness, and also to test the response capability of every individual and local government unit.

Moreover, the drill will also help officials to further identify the gaps in terms of their response capabilities. It would also give way to private sectors to test their contingency plans during an earthquake disaster.

Metro Manila Crisis Monitoring and Management Center (MMCMMC) head Ramon Santiago discussed in their meeting with the Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MMDRMC) that there will be different scenarios for the week-long shake drill.

He said the drill would start on July 14 at 4 p.m. to coincide with the rush hour in Metro Manila.

NOW: MMDA holds media briefing on disaster preparedness of local gov't units & gov't agencies for possible earthquake in Metro Manila. pic.twitter.com/eA8Lo1LHTt

— Marlly Bondoc (@marllybondoc) 11 April 2017

Santiago said they are expecting the public to perform the “duck (drop), cover and hold” steps. He said evacuation procedures should also be executed, with the and the public would then proceed to their designated assembly areas to be followed by the accounting procedures of the government units.

antiago then told that they would also propose to Meralco to cut-off electric power for five to 10 minutes around 7 p.m.

Proposed drill timeline:

• July 14 - Start of Drill (West Valley Fault moves generating a 7.2 magnitude earthquake at 4:00 p.m.)
- Individual Self-Protection
- Total power failure test (10 minutes)
- Emergency response test (until July 16)
• July 15 - Early Recovery plans (until July 17)
• July 18 – Drill ends, Drill evaluation and critique

Disaster preparedness at barangay level

Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) chief Renato Solidum, meanwhile, suggested that disaster preparedness should also go down to grassroots level.

This was then echoed by MMDA officer-in-charge Tim Orbos, saying, "Yung preparedness must go down already to the community level. Pag nangyari ang isang sakuna, hahanapin ng tao yung gobyerno. Hahanapin niya hanggang doon sa baba."

"Kasi yung national government will be so busy in tackling yung disaster on a bigger scale. Pero yung ating taong bayan, lalo na yung sa mga komunidad nila, kailangan may makitang gobyerno na tumatakbo. Kaya sa susunod na shake drill isasama na natin ang barangay," Orbos added.

MMDRRMC held its meeting at the newly inaugurated Metro Manila Crisis Monitoring and Management Center, which was attended by the representatives from the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Philippine Coast Guard (PCG), AFP-NCR Command, National Capital Regional Police Office, PAGASA, Philippine National Red Cross, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices of Metro LGUs, and other civic volunteer groups.

NOW: MMDA holds media briefing on disaster preparedness of local gov't units & gov't agencies for possible earthquake in Metro Manila. pic.twitter.com/eA8Lo1LHTt

— Marlly Bondoc (@marllybondoc) 11 April 2017

  —KBK, GMA News