BUSINESS

MERALCO JOINS OCD-NCR, MMDRRMC IN LEADING NATIONAL QUAKE DRILL

“Meralco is an organization that delivers critical service, so this exercise is an integral step to validate and strengthen the company’s operational readiness when the disaster comes. This also gives us the opportunity to move beyond what is created in our plans and put those plans into action,”

Alyanna Perez · Oct 10, 2026, 1:25 AM

SEEN in the photo are (from left) Pasig City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (Pasig DRRMO) Chief Bryant Meryll Ruiz Q. Wong, Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation (PDRF) Executive Director Veronica T. Gabaldon, Bureau of Fire Protection-Pasig City Fire Marshal Leo A. Andiso, Meralco First Vice President and Head of Facilities, Safety and Security Management Jerry B. Lao, Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga, Office of Civil Defense-NCR Regional Director George F. Keyser, Meralco Business Continuity Management Head Rafael C. Enriquez, Department of Science and Technology-NCR Regional Director Romelen T. Tresvalles and Department of Interior and Local Government-NCR Assistant Regional Director Ana Lyn R. Baltazar-Cortez during the opening ceremony at the Meralco Operating Center in Pasig City.

THE Meralco Corporate Communications team, led by Vice President and Head of Corporate Communications Joe R. Zaldarriaga, conducts a mock press conference to ensure seamless communication with the media even when disaster strikes.

At the sound of the emergency siren, preparedness moved from planning to action as the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) mobilized its workforce across all its facilities for the third-quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED), reinforcing disaster preparedness as more than a compliance exercise. It is a shared responsibility and an essential, life-saving practice.

MERALCO Rescue with trained Security personnel rescued a patient (dummy victim) from a collapsed structure, as part of the quake drill.

In preparation for a magnitude 7.2 earthquake, or “The Big One,” Meralco joined the Office of Civil Defense-National Capital Region (OCD-NCR) and the Metro Manila Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MMDRRMC) in leading the drill and strengthening coordinated disaster response. The exercise brought into focus the importance of readiness, not only among emergency responders and organizations but across communities and the public.

Over 6,000 Meralco employees and partners joined the earthquake full-scale exercise conducted across its headquarters in Pasig City, as well as other sector offices and business centers, on 30 September 2026.

In close coordination with the OCD-NCR, Meralco’s Business Continuity Management Office facilitated an exercise across its corporate headquarters, sector offices and business centers to assess the company’s overall capability to respond to and sustain critical operations and essential electric services following a devastating disaster, such as an Intensity VIII earthquake.

THE Meralco San Pablo Business Center, including its customers, participated in the earthquake drill. In addition, other sectors and business centers of Meralco also conducted evacuation procedures during the Q3 NSED.

“This is especially important for the energy sector. The continuity and timely restoration of power are essential to emergency response, communications, healthcare, water systems, businesses and other critical services. This is why partnerships between the government and the private sector are vital in building a more resilient community,” said OCD-NCR Regional Director George F. Keyser.

The scenario entailed a 7.2-magnitude earthquake along the West Valley Fault that tested Meralco’s emergency response capabilities and business continuity measures. It also aimed to identify strengths, gaps and areas for improvement in Meralco’s emergency response, business continuity and recovery capabilities, and to enhance coordination with relevant government partners and other stakeholders.

THE Meralco Networks team provided generator sets and floodlight for Barangay San Joaquin Evacuation Center in Pasig City as part of its simulation during the earthquake drill.

The simulation covered a range of emergency scenarios and response activities, including a chemical spill, blackout, press conference, high-angle rescue, collapsed-structure rescue, fire suppression, mass-casualty triage and the deployment of a generator set and floodlights to an evacuation center.

SOME of Meralco sector offices conducted a simulated chemical spill, as it can be a secondary hazard due to a strong earthquake.

MERALCO Rescue conducts a collapsed-structure rescue as part of its simulated activities during the earthquake drill.

To ensure seamless communication, Meralco also staged the use of satellite phones and satellite-based broadband services to connect internal sector offices and external partners. Improvised offices and other essential facilities were likewise set up to support the continuity of operations.

DOST-NCR Regional Director Romelen T. Tresvalles emphasized in her message of support that Meralco plays a huge role in society, as its operations affect public safety, recovery and daily lives.

MERALCO rescue conducted a high-angle rescue at the Meralco Lopez building during the Q3 NSED.

“Meralco plays a critical role in times of disaster as it also directly affects the safety, recovery and daily lives of our kababayan. Together let us build a culture of preparedness, because our readiness will be our strongest defense in times of disaster,” she said.

In addition to ensuring employee safety, the simulation served as a key exercise in maintaining critical power infrastructure during major seismic events.

Meralco regularly collaborates with the OCD and local disaster risk reduction and management offices to maintain high standards of emergency protocols and business continuity plans across its franchise area.

Evaluators from the MMDA, DOH-Metro Manila Center for Health Development, Philippine Disaster Resilience Foundation and NCR regional offices of the DSWD, DILG, DOST, BFP and PNP were present to evaluate Meralco’s full-scale earthquake exercise, while the Pasig City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (Pasig DRRMO) also observed the activities.

BUREAU of Fire Protection- Pasig members perform the “duck, cover and hold” protocol during the earthquake drill.

For her part, DILG-NCR Assistant Regional Director Ana Lyn R. Baltazar-Cortez reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to helping local government units maintain functional disaster-resilience mechanisms and clear coordination arrangements.

“Today’s full-scale exercise is particularly significant as Meralco serves in the regional pilot area of NCR. It reinforces our continuing work with our local government units to protect and enhance local disaster preparedness resilience, and we remain committed to ensuring that our LGUs use functional mechanisms capable for clear coordination, arrangement and bring this plan into action,” Baltazar-Cortez said.

Meralco regularly participates in the quarterly NSED to uphold its commitment to safety and continuous power service resiliency during natural disasters.

“Meralco is an organization that delivers critical service, so this exercise is an integral step to validate and strengthen the company’s operational readiness when disaster comes. This also gives us the opportunity to move beyond what is created in our plans and put those plans into action,” said Jerry B. Lao, Meralco first vice president and head of facilities, safety and security management.

Preparedness does not end with a drill. It is a continuing commitment shared by institutions, communities and every individual to know what to do, act quickly and help keep one another safe when disaster strikes. For Meralco, that commitment means being ready to respond and help keep the power flowing for its more than 8.3 million customers when they need it most.