DAVAO ORIENTAL—Provincial Capitol employees here have been prepared for earthquakes during the Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill for the first quarter of this year.

All Capitol employees have participated in the activity held yesterday, February 21, at the Provincial Capitol.

Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDDRMO) Assistant Department Head Francis Jason Bendulo, in an interview, said that the first quarter of this year’s earthquake drill was piloted in Iloilo City, Panay Island but is still conducted by all regions and provinces in the country.

He added that the drill aimed at assessing the overall efficiency and usefulness of the preparedness, response and recovery plans, system of existing policy and protocols in the Province.

Provincial Administrator Art Benjie Bulaong, who was the drill’s Incident Commander, said that he is thankful with how the employees responded on the drill. Despite this, Bulaong added that there should be more simulation exercises and education campaigns for the employees so that casualties will be avoided during actual disasters.

“I am so thankful because I’ve seen that the employees here in the province have worked towards the success of the event. If we are talking of today, we can still observe that not all employees are very knowledgeable on how to respond during earthquakes,” he said.

He added that “we are still on 70% when it comes to readiness of the employees that is why we are finding another solution together with the concern agencies like education campaigns of the employees because it is very important.”

Considering the province’s vulnerability to natural disasters, especially earthquake, Bulaong is calling on all the employees and the people of the Province of Davao Oriental to stay prepared “because a prepared province is a safe province.” By Harold Jhon J. Miguel(DOSCST Intern)/Photos by Eden Jhan Licayan