Earthquake drill held in Paranaque

In line with its disaster preparedness program, the Parañaque City Government, headed by City Mayor and Parañaque Disaster Risk Reduction & Management Council (PDRRMC) Chairman Florencio Bernabe, Jr. staged on Tuesday, March 29, 2011 a simultaneous earthquake drill at the City Hall and VCG Building.

Done periodically, the objective of the exercise is to enhance the readiness of employees to act in a manner necessary to prevent injury or death during and in the aftermath of an earthquake.

Simulating the occurrence of an earthquake with a siren wail, city hall employees took cover under their desks and made a fast and orderly evacuation of the building, led by their department heads as the siren stopped.

An earthquake is characterized by a violent shaking of the ground following the shifting of layers in the earth’s crust, movements in geological faults or due to volcanic eruptions.

High intensity quakes have been known to be very destructive in terms of lives lost and infrastructures destroyed.

If the earthquake occurs on the ocean floor, a tsunami may result.

This natural phenomenon can also deliver similar devastating effects.

“The PDRRMC continues to strengthen its components and programs to mitigate risks, if not avert disasters; and attain a high level of preparedness for response, management and rehabilitation.”, Mayor Bernabe said.

PDRRMC is chaired by Mayor Jun Bernabe. Its various committees are composed of city government department heads, Parañaque DILG Director, Chief of Police, Fire Marshal, BJMP Warden, DepEd P’que Div. Superintendent, representative(s) from the Sangguniang Panlungsod, Liga ng mga Barangay, Parañaque Red Cross (Rizal Chapter), private sector, the business community, Phil. Coast Guard, DENR, MMDA and the Phil. Army (AFP) contingent (303rd RR Bn) doing civic work in the city.