ANGELES City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin Jr. has underscored the importance of disaster preparedness.

The mayor said this after leading a drill, conducted by the City Government to ensure the readiness of employees.

Lazatin said the drill is expected to measure the city's resiliency after natural and man-made calamities.

Business establishments participated in the drill.

"By doing this continuous event, we can be able to persuade other employers and business owners to be ready. And of course, ang kapakanan at kaligtasan ng bawat isa ay mas importante kaysa sa anumang halaga ng pera," he added.

The exercise adopted a 6.1-magnitude earthquake scenario, covered stages namely alarm, response (duck, cover, and hold), evacuation, assembly or head counting, incident command system, and mass casualty handling.

Lazatin lauded the Angeles City Disaster Risk and Reduction and Management Office (ACDRRMO), headed by Marilou Simeon, for the simulated rescue and retrieval operations.

He also thanked the employees and key government agencies for supporting the event.

The mayor reminded everyone to stay calm and pray during calamities.