Around 5 million people from various sectors in Metro Manila are expected to join the first metro-wide earthquake drill on July 30 as part of the government’s preparation in the event a major disaster hits the National Capital Region.
“For the first time there will be a massive participation. The drill will be based on the MMEIRS (Metro Manila Earthquake Impact Reduction Study) of JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) in 2004,” said Metro Manila Development Authority chairman Francis Tolentino.
He said the one-hour drill from 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. will cover 16 cities and one town in Metro Manila and is expected to draw 5 million to 6 million participants from both the government and private sectors.
Tolentino said the blaring of sirens and fire alarms and ringing of church bells will mark the start of the drill. He added the National Telecommunications Commission will also help in the information dissemination by sending text blast to Metro Manila residents to announce the event.
“We already discussed the text blast and the NTC will participate by providing text blast two hours before and two days before the drill. It’s a message from the MMDA to prevent rumors or prank text that there will be (actual) earthquake,” he said.
On Monday, Tolentino also signed an agreement with officers and members of the Philippine Mortuary Association, whom each member, committed to donate 500 body bags in the event an actual earthquake hits the metropolis.
“They (PMA) also agreed to train five MMDA personnel to become embalmers and they also offered free funeral services in case the actual quake strikes,” he said.
The PMA will submit to the MMDA a list of funeral vehicles that they will be using in retrieval operations so that these could be exempted from the number cording scheme.
Tolentino said when disaster strikes, the PMA group of morticians and funeral parlors will play a big role in the management of the dead as they can help prevent the spread of airborne diseases.
The MMDA is still in the process of finishing the plan on how personnel of other government agencies such as the Bureau of Fire Protection, National Police, the Armed Forces and the Coast Guard would participate in the drill.
“Prior to the (July 30) drill, we will be having a mini national drill rehearsing what we have discussed and the commitments of national agencies and local government units,” said Tolentino.
“This will not be the first and the last. Maybe next year, we’ll try balikatan and all equipment of government agencies including LGUs are involve,” he added.
The MMDA chief said the shake drill is important to make Metro residents alert on what should be done during an actual quake.
The agency initiated the conduct of a metro-wide shake drill in Metro Manila after the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology came up with a warning of a massive quake if the Valley Fault System moves.
The system is comprised of the 10-kilometer East Valley Fault in Rizal, and the 100-kilometer West Valley Fault, which passes through six Metro Manila cities and parts of the Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna and Rizal provinces.