CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY, Misamis Oriental – Philippine Ports Authority’s Port Management Office of Misamis Oriental/Cagayan de Oro City, together with stakeholders Oroport Cargohandling Services, Inc. (the Port of Cagayan de Oro’s cargo handling operator) and Pilipinas Shell Northern Mindanao Import Facility, and the Ports of Balingoan, Benoni, and Opol participated in this year’s 3rd Quarter National Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) on Thursday, 08 September 2022, 9:00 A.M. This exercise supports the government’s ongoing campaign to increase catastrophe preparedness and awareness to all personnel, partners and stakeholders.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s (NDRRMC), in line with the Memorandum No. 71, series of 2020, together with the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), and the Local Government Unit of Makati spearheaded the 3rd Quarter NSED via online platforms – Facebook Live and Zoom.
At the Baseport, Oroport’s emergency vehicles such as Fire Truck and Ambulance were deployed as part of the emergency response drill while around 222 PMO personnel performed the “Duck, Cover and Hold” during the earthquake simulation that was signaled by an alarm siren. The Port Police conducted communication drills to all stations, conveying status reports, damage assessments, and to test their capacity and coordination in cases of actual emergencies.
The NSED is a quarterly major initiative by NDRRMC in coordination with the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) with its purpose to improve earthquake awareness and preparedness. It is participated by all line agencies, LGUs and government entities in the country. -JTIbrahim
