ABOUT 5,000 Dabawenyos are expected to participate in the upcoming 4th Davao City-wide Full-Scale Earthquake and Tsunami Shakeout Drill on July 26, an official from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO).
Lyndon Ancajas, admin and training acting division head of CDRRMO, said during the ISpeak media forum on Thursday, July 18, 2024, at the City Mayor’s Office (CMO),that unlike the 2019 shakeout, which was conducted during school hours, the number of participants in this year’s drill is smaller.
“Last time katung previous years so schools days man gyud to so apil ang DepEd so naabot gyud mi ug thousands kay tanan school niapil man unya nangayo me ug data sa ilaha (Last time, during previous years, it was conducted during school hours so the Department of Education (DepEd) automatically participated, resulting in thousands of participants. We requested data from them),” he said.
Ancajas emphasized that aside from testing the readiness of Dabawenyos for earthquakes and tsunamis, the objective of this drill is to evaluate how well the local government can sustain in providing services to its residents during a catastrophic event.
He added that the drill will also assess the capabilities of rescuers in terms of first aid, CPR, and emergency response.
During the drill, the city's early warning system will be activated, along with the ringing of church bells to indicate the drill's status.
CDRRMO reported that several establishments have committed to participating in the drill, including churches, malls, hotels, condominiums, hospitals, and government offices.
As previously discussed in a media forum, Ancajas mentioned that even barangays not situated along the coast are now considered tsunami-prone. He noted that based on the recent tsunami map from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), they have identified these barangays as tsunami prone and in order to enhance the resident’s preparedness they are included in the drill. RGP