Taguig City all set for 3rd Metro Manila shake drill

Taguigeños are ready to duck, cover and hold!

The local government of Taguig has laid down the necessary preparations for the upcoming 3rd Metro Manila Shake Drill, which will see emergency situations simulated in a bid to test an individual’s and organizations’ disaster response capabilities in the event of a 7.2-magnitude earthquake.

According to Taguig City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office officer-in-charge Mr. Erwin Niño Palima, 12 barangays have already been tasked to simultaneously create varying emergency scenarios during the first day of the four-day drill from July 14 to July 17. The succeeding days will see simulations in the four quadrants in Metro Manila set by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) under its earthquake-contingency plan aiming for faster response.

Barangays Pinagsama,  North Signal Village,  Central Signal Village,  South Signal Village,  Upper Bicutan,  Central Bicutan,  Maharlika,  Tanyag,  South Daang Hari,  Ususan,  Lower Bicutan, and  Bagumbayan will act out emergency scenarios that include  scenes of evacuation, collapsed buildings, looting, vehicular accidents and fire incidents.

The 12 barangays were chosen for the drill as they are situated on top of the West Valley Fault where earthquakes are more prone to occur.

The drill will take start at exactly 4 p.m. on July 14 with sounds of a fire alarm and synchronized sirens as signals.

“We take these mock drills seriously because we believe that the key to survival involves inculcating and understanding the culture of preparedness and awareness against natural disasters in our community,” said Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano.

Cayetano also noted that these kinds of activities enable the entire community to put into practice the city’s already-existing disaster contingency plans.

This is the third time that the City of Taguig has participated in the Metro Manila Shake Drill.

In December 2012, Taguig City was awarded the Seal of Disaster Preparedness by the Department of the Interior and Local Government-National Capital Region, in acknowledgment of the local government unit’s exemplary disaster preparedness program.

The City of Taguig has also distributed 68,750 “grab bags” (emergency kits) to all 23 elementary and 13 secondary schools across the city for use in the event of disasters.

Apart from this, the city has also conducted trainings and seminars of disaster preparedness among its 28 barangays, in public and private schools and even in the private sector in McKinley and Bonifacio Global City.

Drills and simulations of earthquakes have also been done in both the private and public schools in the city to practice the culture of preparedness among students and teachers. More than 30 batches of City Hall employees have also underwent disaster preparedness seminars that taught them the dos and donts during a strong quake whether they are at home or in their workplaces. ###

FILIPINO VERSION

Taguig City lalahok sa Metro Manila Shake Drill

Nakahandang lumahok ang lungsod ng Taguig sa gaganaping pangatlong Metro Manila Shake Drill simula Hulyo 14 hanggang Hulyo 17.

Ang shake drill ay gagawin upang malaman ang kahandaan ng isang pamayanan o lokal na pamahalaan kung sakaling mangyari ang 7.2-magnitude na lindol.

Dito sa shake drill masusukat ang kakayanan ng pamahalaang lungsod na sumagip ng buhay at tumulong sa mga mabibiktima ng pagyanig.

Ayon kay Taguig City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office officer-in-charge Erwin Niño Palima, aabot sa 12 barangay ang binigyan ng iba’t-ibang scenario para sa unang araw ng Metro Shake Drill upang mahasa ang kanilang kapasidad na tumugon sa oras ng sakuna. Itinakda naman sa mga susunod na araw ang simulations sa apat na quadrants ng Metro Manila na itinalaga ng Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) para sa mas mabilis na pagtugon sa pagtama ng malakas na lindol.

Ang mga Barangay Pinagsama,  North Signal Village,  Central Signal Village,  South Signal Village,  Upper Bicutan,  Central Bicutan,  Maharlika,  Tanyag,  South Daang Hari,  Ususan,  Lower Bicutan, at  Bagumbayan ang kikilos at ipatutupad ang mga emergency measures at evacuation sa mga kunwaring eksena ng bumagsak na gusali, pagnanakaw, aksidente ng mga sasakyan at. sunog.

Ang 12 barangay na napili ay ang mga lugar na matatagpuan sa ibabaw ng tinaguriang West Valley Fault, na kung saan inaasahang mas malaki ang pinsalang idudulot ng malakas na lindol.

Ang quake drill ay magsisimula eksaktong 4 p.m. sa Hulyo 14, at ang hudyat nito ay ang isang malakas na tunog ng sirena at kalembang ng alarm.

“Sersyoso ang pamahalaang lungsod ng Taguig na gawing epektibo ang bawat mamamayan, kasama na ang ating mga opisyales, sa pagtugon kung sakaling tumama ang malakas na lindol. Mas mabuti na ang laging handa at alam ang gagawin sa oras ng pangangailangan,” wika pa ni Taguig City Mayor Lani Cayetano.

Ayon pa kay Mayor Lani, nakapaloob sa gagawing shake drill ang matagal nang nasa plano ng lungsod ng Taguig na mga emergency measures sa lahat ng kaganapan sakaling mangyari ang lindol.

Ang shake drill na ito ay pangatlong pagkakataon na ng Taguig City na ipamalas ang kahandaan ng Taguigeño.

Noong December 2012 ay nabigyan ang Taguig City ng Seal of Disaster Preparedness ng Department of the Interior and Local Government-National Capital Region bilang pagkilala sa local government unit na may maayos at epektibong disaster preparedness program.

Namigay na rin ang Taguig City ng 68,750 “grab bags” (emergency kits) sa mga 23 elementarya at 13 secondaryang eskwelahan sa buong syudad upang magamit sa oras ng sakuna.

Nagsagawa na rin ng mga drill at simulation ng lindol ang Taguig City sa mga pampubliko at pribadong paaralan sa lungsod para sanayin ang “culture of preparedness” sa mga mag-aaral at sa kanilang mga guro. Nasanay na rin ang mga empleyado ng City Hall sa disaster preparedness para alam nila ang dapat nilang gawin sa kanilang mga bahay or lugar ng trabaho kung sakaling tumama ang malakas na lindol. ###