Lebak, Sultan Kudarat (November 6, 2025) — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Region XII demonstrated its disaster response capabilities during the 2025 fourth-quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) full scale simulation exercise held in Lebak, Sultan Kudarat.
The full scale simulation exercise, organized to test operational readiness in managing casualties and missing persons, among other response clusters, activated the region’s Management of the Dead and Missing (MDM) Cluster, which was rigorously evaluated using a structured assessment tool developed by the Department.
A total of 22 MDM-trained personnel from DILG XII participated as players, evaluators, and exercise controllers. The team included Municipal Local Government Operations Officers and DRR-CCA Primary and Alternate Focal Persons, and other technical staff from both provincial and regional offices. Fire Senior Inspector Ike J. Lachica of the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) Region XII also served as one of the evaluators.
During the simulation, the MDM Cluster successfully established critical MDM facilities, including facilities for body identification, documentation, and viewing, the One-Stop Shop (OSS) for data reconciliation, missing person’s center, and bereaved families holding area, operating in full compliance with national MDM protocols. Participants demonstrated proficiency in key operational functions such as documentation and tagging, management of missing and deceased individuals, final arrangements of the dead, and support for bereaved families.
During the opening program, DILG XII Regional Director Atty. Rochelle D. Mahinay Sero, CESE, delivered her message of support, underscoring the DILG’s vital role as Vice Chair for Disaster Preparedness under the RDRRMC XII and as the lead agency for the MDM Cluster in Disaster Response. In her message “This regional initiative stands as a concrete expression of our collective duty to safeguard lives and build resilient communities—a vital pillar of our shared aspiration for a Bagong Pilipinas: a nation that is proactive, prepared, and united in the face of adversity.”
She reaffirmed the Department’s commitment to strengthening local government capacity, promoting inter-agency collaboration, and institutionalizing preparedness through DILG initiatives such as the Operation L!STO Program and the Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG).
“As the Vice Chairperson for Disaster Preparedness under the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) XII, the DILG remains steadfast in its role as a nation-builder and enabler of local resilience. We continue to empower our local government units (LGUs) through capacity development, institutional strengthening, and inter-agency coordination— recognizing that resilience begins at the local level, where governance and citizen action meet.”
Atty. Sero emphasized that the full-scale simulation serves as a testament to collaborative governance and local resilience, reminding all stakeholders that disaster preparedness is a shared responsibility reflecting the DILG’s brand of public service - Matino, Mahusay, at Maaasahan.
The DILG XII’s participation in the simulation reaffirms its steadfast dedication to enhancing local resilience, operational readiness, and coordinated disaster response efforts across SOCCSKSARGEN.
DILG XII Assistant Regional Director Engr. Samuel A. Camaganacan also attended the exercise, providing full support to the MDM Cluster.
