The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) on Wednesday said it would commemorate the 2013 Bohol earthquake by conducting the third quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) on Thursday.
In a statement, OCD administrator Undersecretary Ariel Nepomuceno said the ceremonial pressing of the button of the third quarter NSED will be held in Tagbilaran, Bohol at 2 p.m.
Bohol was selected as the ceremonial site for this quarter’s NSED to mark the 10th anniversary of the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that struck the province on Oct. 15, 2013. A full-scale exercise focusing on a magnitude 7.2 earthquake scenario due to the movement of the East Bohol Fault would be conducted.
Nepomuceno also stressed the need to enhance the response capabilities of local government units and communities against massive earthquakes.
The OCD and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) will spearhead the simultaneous earthquake drill.
Tagbilaran City will host the ceremonial pressing of the button and the full-scale exercise focusing on a magnitude 7.2 earthquake scenario due to the movement of the East Bohol Fault.
The exercise will test the city’s earthquake emergency plans through a demonstration of response capabilities; command and control systems and processes; and interoperability of rescue teams, officials said.
Incidents will include mass casualty, collapsed structures with trapped victims, structural fire, and looting.
The Third Quarter NSED will be live-streamed through Civil Defense PH and NDRRMC Facebook pages.
The last quarter NSED was held last June 8 2023 at Mandaluyong City’s Greenfield District hosted by the city government.
The OCD and NDRRMC is urging academic institutions, business establishments, government offices, and all households to join the drill and conduct earthquake and evacuation drills in their respective areas. Vince Lopez