IN line with the nationwide simultaneous drill of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, Pasil Elementary School in Barangay Pasil, Cebu City conducted an earthquake drill last Thursday.

It was the first drill conducted in the barangay this year.

Lilia Ramirez, Pasil Elementary School principal, said that school officials want to instill in the minds of students what they should do in times of disaster like an earthquake.

“We want to teach them how to react to lessen any incidents when an earthquake strikes,” she said in Cebuano.

It is also through the drill, according to the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office Operations Officer Harold Alcontin, that a barangay will become better prepared to respond to disasters.

During the drill, they made sure that the evacuation was safe and systematic since that is the most important part, he said.

Alcontin commended Barangay Pasil because of its “twinning” with a neighbor, Barangay Suba Pasil.

“It’s nice to see the two barangays cooperating,” he said in Cebuano.

He said that they will introduce the drill to other barangays since it is a good strategy to lessen casualties in times of disaster.

Approximately 900 students and school officials participated in the activity.

Pasil Barangay Captain Julius Giuoguio said that the drill was useful and helpful to the children, as well as to the whole barangay. He said they plan to include the whole community in their next drill.

He said that it may be different when a real earthquake strikes, but teaching people the basics on what should they do during a disaster is already a big help. Jerra Mae Librea, USJ-R Intern