87,000 students to join earthquake drill in Bacolod
BACOLOD CITY -- A total of 87,000 students coming from 73 public elementary and high schools in Bacolod City will join the 1st Citywide Earthquake Drill today at around 9:00 o’clock in the morning.
It will be a simultaneous drill to start at Rizal Elemenatary School in Araneta Street to be attended by Usec. Dr. Anthony T. Golez Jr., Deputy Presidential Spokesman of Malacañang Palace and Deputy Administrator of the Office of Civil Defense; the City officials which include Mayor Evelio Leonardia; Vice-Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson; Councilor Greg Gasataya - Chairman, Committee on Education; SPM Roberto Rojas – SP Committee on Infrastructure.
Also in the activity are DepEd Schools Division Superintendent Milagros Gonzales; ASDS John Arnold Siena; Director Rose Cabrera of the Office of Civil Defense, Region-6; Ma. Herna Montinola, Medical Officer, Dep-Ed; Ramil Atando, Phivolcs; Roxas City Station and Joe Marie Vargas, Executive Assistant to the City Mayor.
Usec. Golez said the activity today is the first in Western Visayas after they started the activity in Manila way back 2005.
“There is no safe place today in the country in terms of disaster, and it may happen anytime so the people must be prepared. We will witness the responders how they exercise their skills and capabilities as a rescue team. It is very important that we save the lives of our children,” Golez stressed.
He also said that Bacolod City is first in Disaster Management and now in place in the roadmap of the entire world having a Public Safety Training Center.
As a procedure, Joe Marie Vargas, Executive Assistant to the City Mayor, explained that a one-minute alarm will be a signal for the student to vacate the area and go to specified safe place.
K-9 dogs will also be utilized to search the trapped children.
Director Cabrera, on the other hand, said that President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo supported the program stating the conduct of the earthquake drill must be on quarterly basis and will be extended in the private schools and other institutions.
“The main purpose of the drill of course is to create awareness on the part of children and school administrators as well,” Cabrera added.
To those who are not involved in the drill, the B.E.E.P. (Building Emergency Evacuation Plan) Manual in compliance with “Safe Ka Ba?” of the National Disaster Preparedness Program will serve a guide to the public on how to handle the situation.
Councilor Gasataya stated his full support to this very laudable program while Vice-Mayor Jude Thaddeus Sayson said that it is good that everybody is preparing for any eventuality that may take place in city.
The activity is in observance of the National Disaster Consciousness Month.