ARMM conducts eartquake safety drill

The leadership of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) is conducting series of coordination and briefings to different schools in the region in preparation for the drill day, officials said.

This is in line with the directive of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo to conduct a Nationwide Earthquake Safety Drill on June 20, 2006 to test the earthquake-preparedness of school administrators, supervisors and students all throughout the country.

Office on Civil Defense-ARMM Director Lita Enok said the preparations on simulation drills for the earthquake-preparedness in schools in the region is on-going now.

Enok, also the Executive Director of the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council (RDCC) -ARMM said the Regional Governor Datu Zaldy Uy Ampatuan has given her instruction to implement the directive of the President in coordination with the members of the RDCC- TWG-ARMM.

Regional Governor Ampatuan is the Council Chairman of the RDCC-ARMM.

According to Enok, OCD-ARMM has started giving briefings to schools identified by her office where to conduct the said drill.

She said they have identified Broce Elementary School in Camp Siongco, DOS and Sultan Kudarat Islamic Academy in Sultan Kudarat, both in Maguindanao province.

"We have to do preparedness drills in our schools so that our teachers and our pupils would have knowledge on what to do during emergency situations. We don't want that our people would experience the same situation in Indonesia where thousands were killed during the recent earthquake. So, we have to be always ready to any eventuality. We have to intensify our emergency preparedness in the region," Enok said.

Department of Education Memorandum No. 459 dated October 22, 1999 states the conduct of preparedness drills in schools.

Enok said that schools and other institutions should have their emergency and evacuation plans. Included in the directive she said is for them to check if these schools have safety spots and evacuation sites.

"Included in this activity is for us to check also the safety of the buildings." The preparedness drill will start at 9 o'clock in the morning upon giving a one (1) minute siren or alarm in the identified schools.

PHIVOLCS Engr. Rainier G. Amilbahar said that schools should organize emergency response teams. Members of these emergency teams would act as response teams to any emergencies in their respective schools.

Amilbahar said during earthquakes, the person should start evacuating and finding a safe place after the shaking which he said will stay a minute. During the shaking, the person he said should find a safe place and cover his head.

"We really have to know the basic knowledge on what to do during disasters. In earthquakes, first, you have to duct, cover and hold then find a safe place and keep calm and don't panic," Amilbahar said. (BPI-ARMM)