The Department of Social Welfare and Development Field Office VII joins the second quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) on June 8, 2023.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council spearheaded the NSED. All DSWD field offices, including its center and residential care facilities, participated in the activity.
In her opening message, DSWD-7 Regional Director Shalaine Marie S. Lucero emphasized that DSWD employees should be alert at all times.
“Ang alertness sa taga-DSWD should always be on top because a lot of our responsibility is for the lives of others. We are in charge of food and non-food, camp management, and protection of IDP,” Dir. Lucero said.
Dir. Lucero also encouraged all Field Office staff to make their families equipped with emergency go bags and aware of the proper procedures and protocols to be executed when the disaster happens.
Representatives from the Bureau of Fire Protection 7, Office of the Civil Defense Region 7, and DSWD-7’s Disaster Response Management Division Staff evaluated the drill.
As for the Department, based on the Exercise Evaluation Guide for Community Evacuation, among the critical tasks to be observed were ensuring the alarms used to signify the emergency were operational and loud enough to be heard by the participants; performing proper duck, cover, and hold; identifying disaster control group members or marshals to lead evacuation; and bringing survival bags, first aid kits, and other life-saving items.
The result of the evaluation will be used to improve the field office’s disaster preparedness and response plan.
The conduct of NSED is pursuant to Rule 6, Section 7, of the Implementing Rules and Regulations of Republic Act 10121, or the Philippine Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, that states “public awareness shall also be undertaken through the conduct of drills by the DRRM on a regular basis.” It also pointed out the development or enhancement of scenario-based preparedness and response plans and systems. ###
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