8ID joins nationwide simultaneous earthquake drill

By DPAO, 8ID PA
March 30, 2015

CAMP VICENTE LUKBAN, Catbalogan City – The 8th Infantry (Stormtroopers) Division joins the Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED 2015) conducted at Samar Provincial Capitol, Catbalogan City at around 9:00 in the morning of March 27, 2015.

The drill was conducted in compliance with the National Government’s directive of increasing the province’s preparedness in the event of a catastrophic earthquake if such situation will arise in the future especially that Samar is situated in a disaster prone area.

Sirens rang at 9 a.m. signaling that an intensity 8 earthquake struck Samar Province with its epicenter at the City of Catbalogan, severely damaging the Capitol Building. Immediately, responders established an incident command post (ICP) and conducted rescue operations, as well as search and retrieval operations in various scenarios.

The activity was followed by a debriefing and after action review in order to discuss actions that necessitate improvements coupled with good disaster response practices that needs to be emulated. Further, plans based on the result of the drill were presented in order for the province to have continuity in its disaster response awareness and instill pro activeness to the people in dealing with a massive earthquake.

The activity was spearheaded by Major General Jet B Velarmino, the 8ID Commander, Governor Sharee Ann Tan of Samar, PSUPT Oliver Cinco of Provincial Public Mobile Company PNP Catbalogan City, Rey Gozon of Regional Disaster Risk reduction Management Council, Col Leoncio A Cirunay Jr, the 801st Brigade Commander and other agencies and organizations that includes Bureau of Fire, Catbalogan City, Access 5, Kabalikat Civic Com, Office of the Civil Defense, Philippine Information Agency Region 8 and other attendees coming from the Provincial Social Welfare and Development and the media.

Governor Tan for her part said,” We will involve the province especially the youth in disaster training in order to address disaster situation, likewise, our aim is to develop this skills and utilize them in helping the community.”

On the other hand, Major General Jet B. Velarmino, Commander of the 8th Infantry Division, Philippine Army whose personnel and equipment were the main resources deployed as “first responders” during the drill, said, “We are willing to share the experiences of our units as well as the skills that we learned in disaster preparedness. I have personally seen and experienced the earthquake that devastated Baguio City in July 1990 and cadets of the Philippine Military Academy where the first responders during that tragedy. And we learned a lot from that experience. And today, we have that skill and resources to react on simultaneous earthquake situations that we can employ to prevent, if not mitigate loss of lives that this disaster may bring in our province”.