Nearly 400 personnel participated in the Mactan Airport Crash and Rescue Exercise 2026 during the fourth week of September to test the facility's emergency response capabilities.
The full-scale simulation focused on aircraft crash and rescue operations as well as passenger welfare, covering search and retrieval, medical triage, and family reunification.
The drill involved numerous organizations, including the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority, Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corp., and local emergency and rescue units.
NEARLY 400 personnel converged at the Mactan-Cebu International Airport for a full-scale aircraft accident simulation to test the facility’s ability to coordinate crash rescue, emergency response, and passenger welfare operations.
The Mactan Airport Crash and Rescue Exercise (Macrex) 2026 gathered government agencies, airport stakeholders, emergency responders and airline partners to evaluate their operational readiness for an aviation disaster.
Held in the fourth week of September, the simulation assessed established emergency procedures, inter-agency coordination and the systems designed to assist passengers and their families during an actual crisis.
Dual focus
Macrex 2026 centered on two primary areas: aircraft crash and rescue and passenger welfare. Under the rescue component, participating teams executed a simulated aircraft evacuation, conducting search and retrieval, firefighting, medical triage and incident management operations. Meanwhile, the passenger welfare aspect covered critical assistance, information management, psychological support and family reunification.
Participating agencies
The comprehensive drill involved the Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority, Aboitiz InfraCapital Cebu Airport Corp., Philippine National Police Aviation Security Unit 7, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines, Lapu-Lapu City Rescue, Bureau of Fire Protection, Philippine Air Force and the Emergency Rescue Unit Foundation. Other key responders included the Cordova Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, Mandaue Filipino-Chinese Volunteer Fire Brigade Inc. and the Philippine Red Cross.
Inter-agency coordination
State agencies such as the Bureau of Customs, Bureau of Immigration, and Bureau of Quarantine also participated alongside the Indiana Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Unit and member airlines of the Mactan Airline Operators Council. This large-scale involvement allowed organizations to test their specific emergency roles while evaluating their communication networks. Effective coordination remains crucial in an airport emergency where multiple complex operations must occur simultaneously.
Policy review
Rescue teams, medical personnel, airport authorities, law enforcement and airlines must share vital information seamlessly to execute established protocols. Beyond the physical simulation, Macrex 2026 provided a crucial opportunity for administrators to identify operational gaps, update welfare support systems, and strengthen the overall Mactan Airport Emergency Plan. / DPC