SULTAN NAGA DIMAPORO, Lanao del Norte (PIA)–Hosting the 4th Quarter National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED), the local government of Sultan Naga Dimaporo aims to test the preparedness and coordination of response teams in the province.
The Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-10, in collaboration with the local government of Sultan Naga Dimaporo and the provincial government, spearheaded the NSED.
Various scenarios were simulated to test the preparedness and coordination of response teams from the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices (MDRRMO) of the towns of Sultan Naga Dimaporo (SND), Bacolod, Baroy, Kapatagan, Kolambugan, Sapad, and Tubod, the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Fire Protection, the 55th Engineer Brigade of the Philippine Army, the Philippine Coast Guard, and others.
The response team led water rescue in a tsunami drill held at Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte. (ADD/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)
The drill covered earthquake response, fire drill, building collapse search and rescue, tsunami drill, vehicle extrication, and high-rise building emergency response, in which over 600 residents, employees, and responders participated.
“Ang nahimo karong 4th NSED, nagmalampuson ug mas daghan nga napakita nga response drills, response exercises nga giapilan sa munisipyo, sa probinsya sa Lanao del Norte, ug sa uniformed personnel sa Philippine Coast Guard, Armed Forces of the Philippines, ug Philippine National Police [What has been done today, the 4th NSED, has been successful and has shown more response drills, response exercises participated by the municipalities, provincial government of Lanao del Norte, and uniformed personnel from the Philippine Coast Guard, Armed Forces of the Philippines, and Philippine National Police],” said OCD-10 Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Division Chief Gilbert Conde.
Response teams conducted high-rise building emergency response during a drill held at Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte. (ADD/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)
Meanwhile, SND Mayor Motalib Dimaporo emphasized the importance of training and remaining calm in emergencies, urging everyone involved to respond effectively and avoid panic to ensure a coordinated and effective emergency response.
Moreover, the responders expressed gratitude for the drill, which provided valuable experience and insights into handling emergencies.
Mobarak Gapor of the MDRRMO Tubod emphasized the challenges of dealing with collapsed structures, noting their unpredictable nature compared to earthquakes. He expressed satisfaction with a 100% success rate in their rescue operations, especially in safely extracting patients during the drill.
“Thankful kaayo ko nga kami gi-assign sa collapsed structure. Kung unsay na-learn namo ‘tong una, mas nadungagan pa jud, mas high pa (among knowledge) sa pag rescue sa mga tao [I am very thankful that we were assigned to the collapsed structure. What we learned before has further enriched and elevated our knowledge of rescuing people],” he said.
Government employees in Sultan Naga Dimaporo, Lanao del Norte, join in the 4th Quarter National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill. (ADD/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)
Jan Philip Bartido of MDRRMO SND expressed confidence in their knowledge and readiness with the training they have undergone and the support and resources provided by their local government unit. He also appreciated the drill for helping them recognize their shortcomings, understand their limitations, and assess their capacity to handle various situations.
“Dako kaayo among pasalamat sa na-organzie sa NSED nga gi-held diri sa SND kay sa mga nahitabo, makaingon pud mi kulang mi ana, makakita mi unsa among kakulangon, makabalo mi sa among capacity sa unsa mahitabo [We are very grateful for what was organized by the NSED that was held here by the SND because of what happened; we can say that we lack that; we can see what we lack; we can know our capacity for what will happen],” he said. (LELA/PIA-10/Lanao del Norte)
