4,000 Pupils, Teachers Join Quake Drill in Cebu City School

More than 4,000 pupils and teachers from Lahug Elementary School in Cebu City on Wednesday participated in the third quarter nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill.

The fire drill was spearheaded by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD)-Region 7 based in Cebu City.

Officials of the OCD, Department of Education, Commission on Higher Education, Philippine National Police, Philippine Red Cross, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Cebu City Government and Cebu City Transportation Office served as evaluators during the drill.

Tashuana Alemania of OCD-7 said the drill was part of the simultaneous nationwide earthquake drill.

A one-minute emergency alarm went off at 9 a.m. at the Lahug Elementary School, which was identified as the pilot area of Central Visayas, to signal the start of the drill.

Pupils and teachers immediately executed the duck, cover and hold.

The entire drill was to test the evacuation scheme of the school and to determine how prepared it is should a strong earthquake hit Cebu, given its huge population.

The drill was completed in two hours after the evacuation and headcount were conducted. (PNA)
LAP/EB/EDS