BONTOC, Mountain Province – The performance of the students, faculty, and non-teaching staff of the participating schools for the 2nd Quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) in Bontoc yielded outstanding results but the performance and participation of the vendors and business owners in the central business district need improvement.
The participating schools were Bontoc Central School, MP-SPED Center, Samoki Elementary School, Ut-utan Elementary School, Mountain Province General Comprehensive High School (MPGCHS), MP SPED High School, and the Mountain Province State Polytechnic College.
Pursuant to OUA Memo 00-0522-0165 stating that evacuation drills in the Department of Education (DepEd) schools are suspended in adherence to minimum public health standards, only phases 1, 2, and 5 namely Alarm, Response, and Headcount were performed by the participants.
Per observation of the evaluators, the students, faculty, and non-teaching staff of the participating schools properly executed the “Duck, Cover, and Hold” technique though only a few did not perform the headcount.
Meanwhile, evaluators assigned at the Bontoc Public Market and Commercial Center reported that the performance of the vendors and business owners in the said area needs improvement. Though some of the participants properly performed the “Duck, Cover, and Hold” technique, some still continued what they were doing even after the reminders from the evaluators.
With this, an intensified Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) and continued participation in drills are seen as some of the solutions to improve the performance of the participants in the central business district.
Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Officer Johana Padaen reiterates the importance of knowing what to do in the event of an earthquake and other safety measures in order to avoid and minimize injuries and casualties.
Meanwhile, Bontoc Mayor Franklin Odsey who is the chairperson of the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (MDRRMC) enjoined all the sectors to actively participate in the drills held quarterly since it improves the readiness and responsiveness of the public in times of an earthquake.
The members of the Bontoc Emergency Response Team (ERT), personnel from the Information Office, Tourism office, Bontoc Municipal Police Station (MPS), Bontoc Municipal Fire Station (MFS), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology, Barangay Officials, and a teacher from MPGCHS were assigned as evaluators and documenters for the earthquake drill.
