MANILA — The Metro Manila Shake Drill will still push through this week, amid the inclement weather brought about by the monsoon rain enhanced by Tropical Depression “Henry,” an official of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said on Tuesday.
MMDA general manager Jojo Garcia said this will enable residents of Metro Manila and local government units (LGUs) to prepare for any worst case scenario.
“Rain or shine, the Shake Drill will proceed,” Garcia said in a press briefing.
“We can do the shake drill the easiest way possible but what if an earthquake happens on a critical time? This way we can prepare for the worst case possible,” he added.
The MMDA also warned that the earthquake drill will affect the traffic flow in the metropolis as this will involve staging different scenarios conducted by LGUs, private institutions, schools and establishments in Metro Manila.
An emergency alarm will be activated on mobile phones five minutes before the start of the drill.
“Once they hear the alarm, motorists who would like to participate in the drill can stop for a minute,” Garcia said.
The MMDA decided not to announce the actual date of the shake drill to instill an effective awareness on disaster response and preparedness among Metro Manila residents.
The agency is encouraging the public to participate and use the hashtag #MMShakeDrill on the day of the actual drill.
“We want to do a shake drill in a more realistic environment. We are doing this to prepare everyone to minimize damage that earthquake may cause. When the Big One happens, we must be prepared,” Garcia said.
The fourth Metro Manila Shake Drill aims to sustain and improve the public’s awareness and consciousness towards a 7.2 magnitude earthquake.
Telecommunication networks will broadcast the drill through emergency cell broadcast and SMS messages to its subscribers on the day of the drill.
Companies, churches, schools, and institutions are urged to sound their own alerts or bells while radio stations will air an alert to signal the start of the drill.
The MMDA will be deploying its personnel in designated emergency operations center in the northern, southern, eastern and western quadrants of Metro Manila.
MMDA has launched a contingency plan called Oplan Metro Yakal Plus, which details the protocols and procedures that would take place in the event of a strong earthquake.
Under Oplan Metro Yakal Plus, Metro Manila is divided into the northern, southern, eastern and western quadrants. Each quadrant has its respective commander and emergency operations center, which will be staffed round the clock and ready to respond in the event of an emergency. (Aerol John Pateña/PNA)
