(FILE) Employees of Quezon City General Hospital participate in a nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill on Thursday, September 10, the drill aims to instill preparedness among the public amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. (INQUIRER/GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE)
MANILA, Philippines — A nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill is set to be held on September 8 as part of the country’s efforts to be prepared against natural disasters, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said Thursday.
NDRRMC spokesman Mark Timbal said the upcoming drill will also allow students to participate as some schools are already holding in-person classes by then.
“Mas masaya ngayon dahil nasa eskwelahan yung mga bata at doon din isasagawa yung mga drills para makiisa yung ating mga eskwelahan, mga estudyante dito sa earthquake drill na ito,” he said in a public briefing.
(This will be more fun because children will be in school already, and the drill will be held there so that students can participate.)
The drill comes in the wake of two recent strong earthquakes that struck Luzon and Mindanao, particularly the magnitude 7.0 earthquake in Abra in July and the magnitude 5.5 temblor in Davao del Sur this week.
The NDRRMC official also called on children who are going back to school to get vaccinated against COVID-19 to protect against the respiratory illness.