Earthquake drill (PNA file photo)
MANILA – The Office of Civil Defense (OCD) is inviting the public anew to participate in the third quarter National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) that is scheduled for Sept. 7.
In its post on its Facebook page, the OCD on Monday said the event would take place at 2 p.m. It called on the public to participate in the drill, which targets to reduce casualties should a major earthquake strike the country.
"Sabay-sabay tayong mag-duck, cover, and hold dahil Bida ang Handa (Let us all simultaneously do the duck, cover, and hold because it is cool to be prepared)," the OCD added.
The first quarter NSED took place on March 9 with a magnitude 7.2 earthquake as the scenario while the 2nd quarter NSED was conducted on June 8.
The OCD earlier reminded the public to observe the following steps or protocols when an earthquake occurs:
-- When inside a building, stay calm and do the "Duck, Cover and Hold";
-- Duck under a strong table and hold on to it. Stay alert for potential threats;
-- Stay away from glass windows, shelves, and heavy objects;
-- After the shaking stops, exit the building and go to the designated evacuation area;
-- When you are outside, move to an open area, stay away from buildings, trees, electric posts, and landslide-prone areas; and
-- If you are in a moving vehicle, stop and exit the vehicle.
Meanwhile, the OCD reiterated its call to the public and its media partners to support the government effort to build public awareness on disasters and safety using Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) information tools and sources.
It added that it is endorsing the following tools which were developed to help communities understand the threats of hazards and undertake necessary steps and activities to build safety and resilience -- the Information Chart ng Mamamahayag tungkol sa mga Sakuna at Kalamidad can be downloaded at https://ocd.gov.ph/attachments/category/18/Broadcasters_Manual.pdf. (PNA)
