A nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill will be held on November 10 focused on an 8.3-magnitude temblor with tsunami scenario, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) announced on Friday.
The exercise, to be held at 9 a.m., is part of the continuing effort to strengthen earthquake preparedness, the NDRRMC said.
The agency said Parañaque City government would host the ceremonial pressing of the button signaling the full-scale exercise.
The activity is also in support of the observance of World Tsunami Day on November 5.
The NDRRMC said the exercise would test Parañaque’s contingency plan for tsunami; demonstrate the evacuation procedures in the local community and services specifically for the fishermen and vulnerable groups, as well as the combined efforts for water search-and-rescue and air rescue capabilities of the Philippine National Police, the Philippine Coast Guard, and the Philippine Air Force, including the interoperability of their communications systems.
The NDRRMC urged academic institutions, the business community, private and government offices, and the public I n general to strictly observe minimum public health standards when conducting evacuation drills.
It noted that as in the third-quarter NSED (national simultaneous earthquake drill), organizations may opt not to conduct evacuation drills if the situation do not allow it.
The event will be live-streamed through the Civil Defense PH’s and NDRRMC’s Facebook pages.
This earthquake drill is the second face-to-face rehearsal since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, after the conduct of the third-quarter NSED on September 8.