Manila-wide earthquake drill seen

The local government of Manila will conduct a citywide simultaneous earthquake drill across all 896 barangays as part of an aggressive push to boost disaster preparedness and “business continuity and resiliency” in anticipation of the feared “Big One” earthquake.

This comes as Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso announced the large-scale, community-based exercise during his “First 100 Days” report on Wednesday at the San Andres Sports Complex.

Domagoso said the drill is designed to simulate real-world disaster scenarios and ensure every village can respond swiftly and effectively.

The mayor tasked the Manila City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MCDRRMO) to lead and coordinate the effort.

“We will focus on preparedness for any calamity for business continuity and resiliency in our city,” said Domagoso. “Because of this, we will hold an annual community-based simultaneous earthquake drill that all 896 barangays will participate in.”

The MCDRRMO said the exercise aims to enhance readiness and coordination among all stakeholders for earthquake, tsunami and flood emergencies.

The drill will simulate three major scenarios — earthquake, tsunami and flood — each scheduled at different times of the day to test readiness under varying conditions.