In the continuing promotion of disaster awareness and preparedness among employees and other port stakeholders despite the prevailing health crisis caused by the Coronavirus Disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, the Port Management Office of Misamis Oriental/Cagayan de Oro participated in the Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill for the 3rd Quarter of CY 2020 on 10 September 2020 at 2:00 P.M.

 

More than 100 participants including those from Terminal Management Offices of Balingoan, Camiguin, and Opol, and the partner cargo handling operator in the Port of Cagayan de Oro participated in the drill.

In compliance to the minimum public health standards, the ceremonial pressing of the button to signal the commencement of the drill was instead conducted via online live stream spearheaded by the Office of Civil Defense. The office employees, personnel in the operation area and in the Port Terminal Building executed the “Duck, Cover, and Hold” while the simulated earthquake was ongoing, indicated by the siren of the fire alarm system that ran for a minute.

Since mass gathering is discouraged as part of the minimum public health protocols, building evacuation was excluded in this drill. The participants were informed to stay in their respective workstation or area after the simulated earthquake.

The Command Center (COMCen), the central communication hub of the Port of Cagayan de Oro, conducted a net call to all stations for emergency reporting and other security protocols as part of the communications drill during emergencies.

The drill ran for four minutes and twenty-four seconds.

The Emergency Response Team took note that “Go bags” and the first aid kits were prepared prior to the drill and all participants wore face masks and face shields during the whole duration of the drill.

The PMO’s participation to the drill serves as a venue to revisit the earthquake response/action plans of the PMO, improve the weak points, and retain and continue the good practices.