THE Cebu Provincial government will hold another earthquake drill at 9 a.m. today in the Capitol compound.
Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office chief Baltazar Tribunalo Jr. said the drill’s focus will be on training their employees how to react in worst-case scenarios.
He said conditions in an actual earthquake are extremely different and that people tend to panic and run rather than act calmly.
“The drill will focus more on the scenario directly after the earthquake has happened. So if people get buried under rocks and rubbles, what are we going to do? Majority will probably just run. Tomorrow’s drill (today) will ensure that when that happens, that if a building collapses, they will not just panic and run,” Tribunalo said in Cebuano.
When asked how he planned on simulating real-life earthquake conditions, Tribunalo said they will include a small “complicated” scenario in today’s earthquake drill. He further said that they will conduct character assessments and attitude checks as he has been receiving reports from the Provincial Disaster Risk Management Council that several employees have not been taking the drills and seminars seriously.
Unlike the Capitol’s surprise quake drill that was held last June 22, this drill was announced.
Tribunalo said he was hoping they would be able to beat the ideal time to evacuate from their areas to safety as they were two minutes behind in the last drill. /Ateneo de Manila University Intern Maria Lelaina R. Cardeño
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