ZAMBOANGA CITY–Earthquake drills should be conducted by surprise to really assess the preparedness of the agencies and institutions who are the first responders.
Engr. Allan Rommel Labayog of Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs)-Zamboanga, on Tuesday said the participants will be complacent once the conduct of the earthquake drills are scheduled or announced.
“In reality, the occurrence of earthquake cannot be predicted and its sudden,” said Labayog, the science research analyst of Phivolcs-Zambaonga.
On June 21, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) is scheduled to conduct simultaneous earthquake drill nationwide for schools and offices.
The drill is the second for this year as the NDRRMC mandates the conduct of four earthquake drills annually or one every quarter.
Labayog said all must participate in the drill “so that they would know what to do in case there is an earthquake.”
He also urged the city government to replicate what the Quezon City did wherein they enacted an ordinance mandating the conduct of earthquake drills in buildings.
Earthquake is a geological hazard where there is the sudden movement of rocks below the earth’s surface, which could cause damage to property and death.
This city and the region are surrounded by two tectonic trenches, the Sulu and Cotabato trench, which could trigger an earthquake and tsunami anytime.
The last time the Sulu trench moved was at 1:15 p.m. of September 21, 1897 with a magnitude 7.5 and six meters tsunami. The Cotabato trench’s last movement, meanwhile, was at 12:11 a.m. on August 17, 1976 with 8.0 magnitude and six meters high Tsunami. (R. G. Antonet Go/PNA)
