Metro Manila – The National Conciliation and Mediation Board (NCMB), an attached agency of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), joined the National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) held last 11th of March 2021 at Arcadia Building hosted by the Arcadia Building Management via Zoom.
This is in reference to the initiative of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC), through the Office of Civil Defense (OCD), to equip the public with the necessary knowledge on disaster preparedness and safety, even with the ongoing pandemic.
“Amidst the ongoing public health emergency brought about by Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), it is also important to take into consideration the imminent threats of other natural and human-induced hazards, in which all stakeholders must be prepared to respond to”, the NDRRMC announced.
The NDRRMC conducted the Online Ceremonial Pressing of the Button via Zoom to start the first quarterly simultaneous earthquake drill nationwide.
The online earthquake drill which began at 2 p.m. was attended by most employees of the NCMB. At the onset, an alarm was sounded off to inform the participants of the drill. The Arcadia Building Management demonstrated the “duck, cover and hold” procedure which is what the experts advise people to do during earthquakes.
A series of activities on NSED is scheduled to be conducted every quarter where different government offices, academe, non-government organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations (CSO) and the public are expected to participate.
NDRRMC deputy spokesperson Mark Cashean Timbal said that earthquakes still occur every now and then across the country and the NDRRMC wants to ensure that the people continue to be vigilant in case an earthquake happens.
END/ianne