TUCP solon to companies: Hold more earthquake drills to prep employees

Amid the series of powerful tremors that hit different parts of the country, a House official on Sunday urged companies to hold more frequent earthquake drills to build their employees’ “muscle memory” in preparing for earthquakes.

In a statement, House deputy speaker and Trade Union Congress of the Philippines party-list Rep. Raymond Democrito Mendoza pointed out that practicing earthquake protocols regularly will save more lives.

“Beyond seemingly token and ceremonial compliance, we should make preparedness a habit and earthquake readiness a work culture. We urge companies across the nation to hold at least twice a month drills to build muscle memory among workers especially when disaster strikes,” he said on Sunday.

He pointed out that the readiness for earthquakes should be second nature for citizens of a country that sits on the Ring of Fire along the Pacific Ocean, which is characterized by active volcanoes and frequent earthquakes.

The House official pointed out that employees will be more ready for earthquakes if there are more preparations and drills at their respective workplaces.

“By embedding it not only in every corporate manual and workplan, but also as a regular agenda in labor-management dialogues, both employers and workers should seize this win-win opportunity to strengthen and practice the right to refuse unsafe work before the next quake reminds us the hard way,” Mendoza said.

“Wala dapat pilitan sa pagtatrabaho lalo na kung nasa peligro ang kanilang buhay mismo,” he added.

Mendoza made the remarks in the wake of recent earthquakes that rocked different parts of the country in the past two weeks.

On Sept. 30, a powerful magnitude 6.9 earthquake rocked northern Cebu, killing 74 and leaving 559 injured.

On Oct. 9, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake jolted Northern Luzon at 10:30 a.m. with its epicenter 2 kilometers northeast of Pugo, La Union. This prompted the suspension of classes and work in government offices in different localities.

On Oct. 10 at 9:43 a.m., a magnitude 7.4 earthquake struck off the coast of Manay, Davao Oriental. triggering a tsunami alert warning for two hours. That same day, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake hit off the coast of Manay in the evening, which also prompted a tsunami warning.

Eight died in the twin earthquakes in Davao Oriental.

On Sunday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council hoisted the red alert over its operations center and activated response clusters to assign lead agencies to manage response operations in response to the twin Davao Oriental tremors.

The following day on Saturday, Oct. 11, a magnitude 5.0 earthquake hit Cabangan, Zambales at 5:32 p.m.

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake also hit Cagwait, Surigao del Sur on Saturday evening at 10:32 p.m.

Mendoza added that more frequent earthquake drills is also "an opportunity for emergency preparedness meetings, including raising awareness on workers' right to refuse unsafe work. — JMA, GMA Integrated News