(DILG XII RD Leysa ducks, seeks cover and holds tightly the table during the drill)

In an atmosphere of increased vigilance and alarm over local Covid 19 transmissions, the Department of the Interior and Local Government XII, under the leadership of DILG XII Regional Director and Vice-Chairperson for Disaster Preparedness of RDRRMC XII, RD Josephine Cabrido-Leysa, CESO III, led the whole force of Regional Office XII during the 3rd Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill on September 10, 2020.

At exactly 2:00PM, a long siren signaled the occurrence of an earthquake. As a response, all DILG XII personnel grabbed their hardhats and immediately performed the “duck, cover, and hold”-routine utilizing their sturdy tables as cover while keeping away from fragile materials or objects, which could potentially fall in the event of a tremor.

Due to the existing health protocols related to the threat of COVID-19 virus, the exercise was only confined to the “duck, cover, and hold” -routine as the personnel who took part in the drill were not required to vacate the office premises.

Dir. Leysa explains, “There is quite a difference in the way we did our exercise today in which we made sure that strict physical distancing measures are observed, even in an emergency like an earthquake. During the evacuation, all employees line up in the narrow hallways as they head out to the designated evacuation area. The purpose of staying inside the building is to limit the exposure of everyone.”

A total of 76 personnel showed their readiness in the event of a strong quake. The past few weeks, the whole of the Region had experienced frequent tremors which, fortunately, did not cause any damage to structures.

The activity is in compliance with the NDRRMC Memorandum No. 71 series of 2020, which requires the LGUs and NGAs to participate in the quarterly conduct of NSED. This is to instill the culture of resilience to the communities and government office personnel as earthquakes can never be predicted.