NSED tests Northern Mindanao’s response to magnitude-7.8 earthquake

TheMonitorMindanaoToday.com | NSED tests Northern Mindanao’s response to magnitude-7.8 earthquake

By: Jan Albert K. Araña

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Emergency responders and disaster managers in Northern Mindanao tested their readiness for a simulated magnitude-7.8 earthquake during the second quarter National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED), which examined coordination, decision-making, and response capabilities across agencies.

The half-day exercise brought together the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC)-10, local government units, and response agencies to assess response to a major earthquake and its aftermath.

The drill tested the decision-making processes of emergency operations centers and the operational capabilities of responders through various earthquake scenarios.

Simulation activities included high-angle rescue operations, fire incidents, collapsed structures, water search and rescue, and vehicle crash rescue.

OCD Regional Director and RDRRMC Chairperson Antonio B. Sugarol said the exercise underscored the importance of preparedness and coordination among government leaders, responders, and communities.

“Napakaimportante ang ating coordination sa ating mga leader at ng ating mga kababayan, dahil dito nakasalalay ang ating paghahanda and how we react kung may mga ganitong klaseng disaster na darating sa atin,” he said.

(Our coordination with our leaders and our countrymen is very important, because our preparation depends on this and on how we react if these kinds of disasters come to us.)

Sugarol said Northern Mindanao remains vulnerable to earthquakes and other hazards because of active faults’the presence and nearby trenches identified by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS).

He cited the recent magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Region 12 and the earthquake in Bogo, Cebu, which was traced to a previously unidentified fault, as reminders of the need for continued preparedness.

To strengthen readiness at the local level, Sugarol said all local government units in the region are now required to develop disaster contingency plans in line with directives from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.

He said the contingency plans will help local governments identify risks, allocate resources and improve community preparedness before disasters occur.

Sugarol also reminded the public that disaster risk reduction requires the participation of government agencies, local governments, the private sector, and civil society organizations.

“Preparedness is not the work of one person or one agency. It is a whole-of-nation approach,” Sugarol said.

The NSED is conducted quarterly nationwide to strengthen public awareness and preparedness for earthquake emergencies.  (JAKA/PIA-10)

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